Broken
by Winged Lady Colette
Summary: Padme, Anakin and Obi-Wan all stared at one another, not a single one of them knowing how they got there. One moment, they were on Mustafar, the next they were on Coruscant. Knowing everything.
1. Mustafar

**Author's Note: I know, I'm sorry! Last one for a while, I promise! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: Language, talk of death for adults, children and innocence.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Word Count: 5,903**

Padme snuggles closer to his heat, shifting a bit so that she can bury her face into his clavicle and throat. She breaths in deeply, smelling his deodorant, shampoo and a faint hint of cologne. She runs her fingers slowly, and lazily, up and down the smooth skin of his side. The slide over the ridges of his ribs, dip down to his small waist before rising a bit at his prominent hips. She can feel his skin bumping out in gooseflesh at the loving ministrations. He sighs softly above her, his arm over her shoulder shifts a bit but doesn't obstruct her movements much.

She opens her eyes to see his Adam's apple bob a bit as he swallows, then lets out another little sigh. She can't help herself. She leans forward a bit and kisses the hallow of his throat.

She smiles sweetly. Like usual, at some point during the night, as per usual, he kicked off the covers, not caring for them. But, knowing that she is easily chilled, he is warming her with his body heat. It used to annoy her having to wake up five or six times during the night to try and wrap the covers around herself to keep her warm with the fan above them cooling the room because he can't sleep when it's too warm. She used to tell him time and again to just leave the covers on him, it wasn't going to kill him, or at least don't kick them off so much that she wouldn't be able to still have a hold over them, and eventually this became his solution.

She's not exactly mad by it.

She gently removes his arm from around her and rests it on her spot as she pushes to her feet. She turns to see the darkness of the early morning still keeping the room favorable for her husband. He got home late last night. She had such a long day yesterday that she hadn't even woken up when he came in. She loves the moments she falls asleep curled up into a little ball, only to wake up in the arms of the man she loves.

He must have had a long couple of days too, because usually the smallest shift wakes him up, but he didn't even move when she extracted herself from her. But that's okay. It is still early and while she wished she could stay in that moment longer, she had an early meeting in a few hours with the Chancellor that she had to prepare for. A part of her wanted to cancel it, but she has been vying for this meeting for a while and she can't be the one to call it off. Hopefully it'll be finished soon and by the time she returns, he'll still be here waiting for her.

She goes to shower, washing her really long curly, dark brown hair with shampoo and conditioner, then wash her hair before she hops out and dries her hair with a towel before wrapping it around her body. She sits on the chair in the corner, tying the towel in front of her before gathering up her hair and placing it into the drying machine up to her forehead. It automatically turns on and dries her hair in about two minutes. She stands up with her long, dry hair sliding down her back and bottom and walks out of the bathroom.

She spots her husband, now lying in the center of he bed on his stomach with his head turned away and long curly tresses splayed across the pillow. Both of their hair was curly but she loved his so much more she could just run her fingers through the tresses again and again without getting bored. She takes a moment to stare at his tanned back rising and falling slightly as he sleeps before she turns and walks into her closet to change.

Padme is sitting at her vanity with the lights dimmed so that she can fix up her hair when C-3PO comes into the room, locates her and walks over.

"Mistress Padme," C-3PO says, "there was a call from the Chancellor's office."

"Is something wrong?" she asks, turning around a bit to look up at the yellow droid. "Is the Chancellor alright?"

C-3PO nods. "Yes, Mistress Padme, but something appears to have come up, the Chancellor is going to have to reschedule your meeting this morning. They will give you a call to set it up at the next convenient time."

Normally, Padme would be a bit frazzled, but in fact, this time, she's excited.

"Thank you, 3PO," Padme says before letting her hair settle down around her shoulders again. She stands up, offering a long, loving glance over at her husband, still sleeping soundly, before leaving her bedroom, enter the living room and going over to the kitchen. It's been too long since she's made a meal and forever since she's made a meal for someone else. Never for her husband.

There is a bit of liberty in cooking, not because it's her job as a woman or anything along those lines, but simply because she used to enjoy it before her time began to belong to everyone but herself. It's very rare that she would have so much time to do something that she wants. And right now, she wants to cook something - which she enjoys - for her husband - who she loves.

"Ani," Padme whispers, running her nails up and down his hot back, watching the gooseflesh appear again. "Ani, wake up."

Anakin hums softly but doesn't wake up. Padme looks around for a moment, considering what to do next before lifting up her long dress and kicking off her shoes, she wasn't going to need them anyway. Still holding her dress up, she steps up onto the bed on either side of Anakin's hips before lowering down on top of him. Anakin lets out a low groan that turns into light laughter.

Padme places her hands on the curve of his lower back and runs her nails soothingly up and down in slow rhythmic movements. Anakin lets out another groan turning his head a bit and opening his eyes to smile up at her.

"Morning..." he mumbles.

She leans down, her hair falling around them, and kisses him sweetly on the cheek. She feels him smile more against her lips and she can't help but smile more back at him. She pulls back and runs her fingers through his soft dirty blond curls lovingly, pushing them out of the way of his face so that she can kiss his temple, then the scar over his eye, then his lips once he's turned around more so she has better access to them.

Anakin twists around a bit before he grabs onto Padme's hips and lift them up so that he can roll onto his back before settling her hips back down onto his own. Padme leans back a bit, running her long, manicured nails along his scalp, pushing his hair back, away from his eyes.

"Good morning," Padme finally says.

Anakin hums softly, closing his eyes are her loving ministrations. "That feels really nice," he mumbles. She keeps at it for a few minutes. At first it looks like he's about to fall asleep, but then he opens his eyes and just stares at her, watching with beautiful steely blue eyes surrounded by mile long thick lashes. Padme could just stare into those beautiful eyes forever.

"Do you have a meeting this morning?" he asks softly.

Padme slowly shakes her head. "No. Not anymore. It was canceled. Are you hungry?"

Anakin rolls his shoulders a bit, trying to maneuver into a more comfortable position before stilling. His hands firmly on her hips stop her from being able to move to give him a bit of space. She didn't want to move anyway, so she supposed it worked out.

"I am," Anakin says. "Where are we ordering from this time? Isn't it still a bit early?" He spares a glance out the window to see that it is finally starting to light up, but he was right because it was still early.

"Yes," Padme admits, "but we aren't ordering anything. I actually made you breakfast if you are willing to try it."

Anakin's eyes light up. "Really?"

"It's nothing special," Padme says quickly. "Remember I told you that I liked cooking? Well, since I had the morning to myself, I wanted to welcome you home properly. Do you want to eat now or do you want to sleep a little bit longer?"

"I'll eat now," Anakin says, grinning broadly. "I've been meaning to try some ever since you told me. I can't wait."

Padme smiles, leaning down to press her lips lovingly against Anakin's. At that moment, their lives were perfect. Anakin was with her, the war was close to being over, she was pregnant with a child from the man that she loved whole-heartedly. Yes, this moment was perfect.

* * *

Padme can't stop herself, running down the ramp. As soon as she sees him, she runs at him as fast as she can and throws herself into his arms. His hood was pulled up over his head so that she couldn't see his face, but she didn't care. She knew it was him and he opened his arms for her. It was him. He was alive, and safe. No matter what other scary shit was swirling around them, at least she knew that for certain. She could feel the heat of his body in his arms, so different from the fiery world of Mustafar around them.

She reaches up and yanks down his hood, not even bothering to look at his face and buries her hand in his hair, tangling her fingers in the soft, but sweaty locks. She didn't care. He was live. He was breathing. That was all that mattered. If she could just stay in this blissful moment forever, she would. His arms around her tight, his breathing in her ear, his chest so close to her own with her pregnant belly being the only thing to separate them.

For a single, beautiful moment, everything was perfect.

They would go back to Coruscant, meet up with Obi-Wan, and then somehow the three of them would be able to figure a way out of this. Or at least whatever their next step is. She squeezes him so tightly. He lifts her up off the ground so that he doesn't have to hunch over any more and Padme's feet dangle, no longer touching the ground due to his superior height.

His arms around her tighten too and Padme squeezes her eyes shut tightly, wanting to ignore everything else. If there was a way to blast away all of the bad in their lives, she wouldn't do it if she was denied this moment.

The death of the Jedi, the rise of Emperor Palpatine and the fall of the Republic all didn't matter in this moment. So long as Anakin was safe, and hers, they would figure their way out of this. Somehow form a rebellion to take back control of the situation. Or, at least something. But all of that can wait for now. She can just keep living in this moment. She can feel shifting in her belly and despite the raging lava storm around them, the moment is perfect.

"Ani," Padme whispers, turning to kiss his cheek before hugging him again, "thank goodness you are alright. I was so worried."

"I'm sorry," Anakin says softly, and there is a hitch to his voice that doesn't make sense to her. She tries not to over-analyze it.

"It's terrible, Anakin, the Jedi temple was attacked, the Republic has fallen, we have to get out of here and get somewhere safe," she says, frantically, pulling back finally to look at him. "It's not safe for the Jedi now." She stops, blinking rapidly, not understanding what she is looking at.

Anakin's head is tilted downward a bit, but he raises his eyes slowly, they glitter in the glow of the lava a sulfuric reddish-yellow instead of the beautiful steely blue they were the last time - and every time before that - she saw them. They were a disgusting color that marred his natural beauty. At first she just stared at him before she slowly extracts her arms from around him and takes a slow step back, not sure she's seeing what she thinks she is. It's got to be a trick of the light somehow. It can't be true.

Her eyebrows pull together tightly. "Anakin..." She starts shaking her head.

Anakin grabs onto her arms and holds her in place. "Padme," he says, his voice low and tense. "I need you to understand that I did this for us. For our family. Now we can be together, out in the open, and not have to worry about who sees us and what they think. We can be together."

"The Jedi..." Padme says softly, her body starting to shake.

"They deserved what they got," Anakin says, shaking his head. "They were ruining everything. Doing everything they could to hold us back, stop us from being together!"

Padme's breath leaves her chest. "The Younglings..."

Anakin pauses, turning his unfamiliar eyes toward her. "Padme..." she starts to pull away but he holds onto her tightly. "Listen to me," he says slowly, staring deeply into her eyes. "I know what this looks like, but I made sure that it was quick and painless. They didn't feel anything."

Padme chokes on the air she's trying so desperately to fill her lungs with. "You killed... younglings?" She rasps, her voice cracking. "You killed _babies?_ I... I don't know you anymore..." Tears start streaming down her face.

Anakin cups her face with one hand, pulling her closer and wrapping his arm around her with the other. "Padme," Anakin says, "I love you. It'll be okay. I know you must be feeling horrible, but trust me, everything is going to start looking up, I promise you. Everything is going to be okay from here on out." He pulls her tighter to him as she weakly tries to pull away. "Padme, please. Please look at me."

Through her tears she tries to try and make eye contact with Anakin but she can't really see and she's crying too hard to be able to control herself but if he wasn't holding her so tightly, she would have fallen to the floor long ago.

"I can't believe you did that..." Padme sobs, her entire body shaking with the force of her tears. "I don't know you. I don't know you anymore..."

Anakin kisses her cheeks and holds her tightly to his chest. "No, you do. You do know me! I'm the same person I always was. I did this for us. Now we can be together!"

"On the blood of children!" Padme cries, pushing weakly against his chest. "I don't want this! I don't want this!"

"The war is over!" Anakin says quickly, as if that will suddenly make this entire thing okay somehow. "I've finished off the Separatist leaders! The war is over! Just like you've wanted. I did this for you! For our child! For our family!"

Padme starts crying harder, her knees going weak. "For me?" She sobs. "You killed so many people because of me?"

"For us!" Anakin insists. "It's going to be better this way!"

"Without our friends? Our family?" She says incredulously. "How could this be good? We could have been happy! Why did you do this, Anakin, why?" She pounds her fists against his chest weakly. "How could you do this?"

Anakin forces her to look at him again. The skin around his eyes are bright red and tears are sliding down his cheek and Padme could see it. Deep, deep in her heart, he was in unbelievable pain. He knew this was wrong. He knew that he shouldn't have done this. He knew he was losing her and he was becoming desperate. Anything he could do to keep her with him, he was going to do it. All this killing and death is ruining him too. He isn't blinded by the Dark Side. His desperation is causing him to do things he normally wouldn't do and it's killing him but he doesn't know what else to do, he's losing himself by being pulled in so many different directions.

"I love you," Anakin cries, cupping her face with his hands. "I love you, please don't say this."

"You are going down a path I can't follow," Padme cries, furiously wiping her tears away as Anakin's hand settle on her hips to keep her in place. "You're breaking my heart!"

"Don't say that," Anakin pleads. "Don't say you can't stay with me! I'll make everything better. I promise! Just tell me how! Tell me, Padme, please! Please don't leave me!" Anakin presses his forehead against hers, wetting her face with both her tears and his own. "Please! Please!" His grip on her face tightening.

"Anakin, you're hurting me," Padme cries, her voice shaking and cracking. Anakin jerks hand hands away from her face before grabbing her arms again.

"I'm sorry," he whispers desperately. "I'm sorry!"

Padme takes a few, shuttering breaths, shivering a bit. She's so torn. She doesn't know what to do. She loves him so much. She can't believe that their lives have turned out this way. She shouldn't want to be with him. She should run while she's got the chance, figure a way out of this later, but she doesn't just want to leave him. Despite everything he's done, she loves him. He seems genuinely remorseful, but stuck in a vicious cycle he doesn't seem to know how to escape from. Can she really let the man who killed younglings around her own children? Can she even see him as her husband anymore? She certainly can't live in the new Galactic Empire, but then where does she go?

Padme starts to cry again, doubling over a bit as her shaking body is hurting her stomach. "I love you," she whispers.

Anakin leans closer. "What? What did you say?"

"I love you," Padme whispers, looking up at him through teary eyes. "I don't know if I can do this, Anakin. This is everything that I stand against. You killed babies, Anakin! How am I suppose to react to that?"

Anakin presses his face close to hers, shaking his head a bit. "Don't say that. Don't think that. We can work this out. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, don't say this! Don't do this! I will make this better. I promise!"

"How?" Padme's voice cracks. Despite everything he's done, there is still good in him. She just knows it. She can feel it.

Anakin's lower lip starts to tremble. "I don't know. I don't know what to do! I..." His eyes widen as if the full weight of what he's done has come crashing down on him and his legs give out and he hits his knees on the hard rock beneath him. "Oh... oh my..." He doubles over, his entire body shaking. "What have I done? By the Force!" Padme quickly steps away in time for him to puke onto he dirt, his body trembling even more.

Padme lowers down next to him, rubbing his back. She's torn and frightened by everything that has happened recently, but she can't just ignore him or his pain. Slowly, and awkwardly, she lowers onto her knees next to him.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," Anakin sobs, threading his hands through his hair. "What have I done? I didn't want this! I just wanted to be strong enough to protect you! I just wanted to keep everyone safe! I ruined everything! I ruined it all!"

Padme could feel it, like an actual pressure around her. Through wet lashes, she looks around to see rocks and droplets of lava starting to float up into the air. She can even hear the groaning of her ship as the metal starts to warp, and she knew it was the Force. She wasn't sensitive to the Force, but she knew that Anakin was exceedingly powerful and when he lost control of his emotions, things tended to start moving, and crunching.

"I'm a monster," Anakin's voice is ragged and deep, like he's lost himself in his emotions and the Force is a swirling maelstrom around him. Padme can feel the tug at her braid and her clothes but he's rational minded enough not to hurt her. Yet. "What have I done?" Anakin moans in pain. "I killed Master Windu! I killed fellow knights and masters and padawan! I killed younglings! What have I done? Oh." The semi-stable chunk of rock that they are on starts to shake and crack.

"Anakin!" Padme cries out in surprise. "You have to calm down!"

The lava, in streams, start to trickle up into the sky.

"Anakin!" Padme calls out, shaking his shoulder. "Anakin, you have to stop!"

"Monster! I'm a monster!"

"Anakin!" Padme pleads. "Please, stop!"

"Anakin!"

Everything stills. Padme and Anakin both look up to see Obi-Wan, standing at the edge of her ship's ramp, hands on his hips, eyes narrowed as he stares at them.

"Master," Anakin says softly, drawing Padme's attention to him to see his eyes an agonizing, but beautiful steel blue color again. "Master, please. Please!"

Padme isn't sure what Anakin was begging for, but she didn't like it. His torn, broken eyes locked onto his master, looking like a man who's lost everything. The weight of what he's done barreling down on him. It's like he's been spending the last few days with a veil over his head, where he could see what he was doing but couldn't really stop himself, and it's like everything is coming to him at once. The weight of what he's done is crushing him, probably somehow enhanced through the Force.

The lava falls back down into the pools creating big splashes, but not big enough to get at them. Obi-Wan looks around for a moment before stepping off of the ramp and making his way over to them, cloak billowing behind him, eyebrows pulled together tightly. He drops his hands but keeps walking in long, purposeful steps, eyes locked onto them.

"Master," Anakin sobs, voice and body shaking. "Master, I did something terrible." Tears slide down his cheeks. "I killed them, Master. I killed them all." He releases his hold on his hair and pushes the heels of his palms into his eyes. "I thought I was... oh what have I done! He told me he could... I just..." He sits back on his hunches, rocking back and forth, slightly.

Anakin lets out a low moan of pain.

Obi-Wan stops in front of him, on the other side of the puke, offering it barely a glance, before stepping around it and lowering down onto a knee on Anakin's other side.

"You are the Chosen One," Obi-Wan finally says, his voice chilling. "You were to destroy the Sith, not join them. You've destroyed everything that we've stood for. You betrayed the Jedi, you betrayed the Republic, and you betrayed me. You allowed the Dark Lord to manipulate you into destroying it all. What have you to say to that!" As he goes on, his voice raised higher and higher until he was yelling. "Damn it, Anakin, look at me! You have to face me! I am not just going to go away!"

Anakin drops his hands onto his thighs and looks at Obi-Wan, the skin around his eyes are beat red, but his irises are still blue. His eyes lock onto Obi-Wan's looking less like a twenty-four year old man, and more like a young boy, desperately looking to his older brother, and fatherly figure, for guidance. He is truly a lost soul, seeking something to cling to. Padme could feel it in her bones, there truly was still good in him.

"I've ruined everything," Anakin says weakly, looking at Obi-Wan. "I've destroyed everything."

Obi-Wan's jaw works, as if trying to control his anger. "I know you have," Obi-Wan says chillingly, but it's in that moment, that the pain is revealed. He meant what he said. Anakin had truly betrayed him, and he felt it so keenly. The worst part about betrayal is it is always by someone one loves and trusts. "I loved you, Anakin," Obi-Wan says, brokenly. "You were my brother, and you betrayed me!"

"I'm sorry," Anakin whispers. "I am so sorry."

"What are we going to do?" Padme asks, still rubbing Anakin's back. "We can't go back to Coruscant. It's not safe there. Palpatine will be looking for the remaining Jedi, and he won't let Anakin go."

"Are you going to come with us?" Obi-Wan asks, staring at Anakin with a hard gaze. "Or have you dedicated herself to your new master?"

"Master," Anakin moans, pained, "please..."

"Padme is coming with me," Obi-Wan says, grabbing Anakin's jaw and forcing him to look at him. "The baby is yours, right?" Anakin doesn't respond. "Right?" Obi-Wan snaps, obviously having lost his patience. Anakin nods. "Right, she isn't going back to Coruscant. If they are your child, the Sith Lord is going to kill them, if not convert them somehow. And your love for Padme will get her killed too. I will protect them."

"Please, Master," Anakin says softly, "let me come with. Please. I wont do anything wrong!"

"Why should I trust you?" Obi-Wan snarls. "I have spent the better part of fifteen years with you, never once imagining that you would betray me, but you did! Why should I trust you with the delicate lives of your wife and unborn child?"

Anakin looks physically pained by his words. "I would never hurt them. Never!"

"Like you wouldn't hurt younglings?" Obi-Wan snaps. "Care-givers who don't even know how to wield a lightsaber? Padawan's who have barely even begun their training? Like you would never hurt them, Anakin?"

Padme is sickened by his words. "Obi-Wan..." She looks at him through wet lashes. "Please, stop. If not for him, for me. I... I can't hear anymore." She rubs at her forehead. Obi-Wan lets out a ragged sigh, running his hand through his sweaty blond hair. Padme shakes her head a bit. "What are we gonna-ah!" She doubles over a bit.

"Padme?" Anakin reaches out and touches her cheek. "Padme, what's wrong?"

Padme feels a stab of pain in her gut, then a great deal of wetness between her thighs and on her feet, that she's sitting on. First, she thought she peed herself, then that her water broke, but the stench of iron hits her nose and she reaches down to touch the wetness to see the dark red sheen on her fingers. Padme gasps in fear, then pain and doubles over as the stabs in her gut become stronger, and moves upward. She coughs and blood splatters on Anakin's face, making him jerk in surprise.

"Padme!" Anakin grabs onto her and lifts her into his arms, quickly standing. "Doctor," he says, eyes wide and wild. "Doctor," he says again, like it's the only word in his vocabulary. Obi-Wan is on his feet, moving toward Padme's ship when Padme coughs wetly, sending more speckles of blood flying.

They start running for the ramp when the two men stop, feeling a looming darkness lovingly caressing at the edge of their senses. Both turn very slowly, able to see the facility in the distance, but a dark, short shadow just a few yards away from them, hunched over in a black cloak. His steps are slow with age, but somehow he appears like a predator stalking it's prey.

"Anakin, my boy," the figure says. "Padme is weak. She is losing the baby, just as you feared. I can show you how to save her, but you are quickly running out of time. She will die soon, if you do not hurry."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan grabs at his arm. "We must go now! He cannot save her. He is evil, Anakin. He will let her die!"

"Nonsense," Palpatine says, voice holding a lilt of pain. "All I have ever done is try and guide you, Anakin. I have always been looking out for you, since you were just a little boy, Anakin. Never have I set you astray."

"The Jedi..." Anakin says softly, looking pained. A small ship hovers overhead, above Padme's. Obi-Wan and Anakin spare it a look but return their attention back to the threat slowly making his way closer.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan pleads. "Please don't do this again! Padme needs to get away from him! He _will_ kill her. Do you understand that?"

"The Jedi were destroying the balance," Palpatine says softly, as if mournfully. "They refuse to act. They sit around twiddling their thumbs thinking that the old ways are the only ways. They refuse to see outside of their neat little box. They allow a bloated beast like the Republic continue to reign when it is filled to the brim with greed and vileness more incorrigible than even I can truly imagine. It had to be stopped. It simply cannot be ruled the way it wishes it could. That is why it keeps failing."

"Right, you may be." Yoda steps up next to them, looking old and tired and sad. "See the Jedi of now and find my masters of old. Hundreds of years between the two, yet they remain the same. My fault, this all is." Yoda closes his eyes and leans heavily on his cane. He looks like he's nearly tripled in age since last either two men saw him.

"Master..." Obi-Wan says softly.

Yoda looks up at Anakin and there is no malice or hatred, just sadness. "Failed you, young Skywalker, I have. No, we, of the Order, have." He shakes his head slowly. "Fix it, I will." Padme coughs weakly, staring, half dazed, down at Yoda. "Senator Amidala," Yoda says, "failed you as well, I have. Didn't see you for what you were until it was too late, I was."

"What does that mean?" Anakin asks. "What are you saying, Master Yoda?"

"Up to you, it is, Obi-Wan, Anakin, to save us all. Write our wrongs, you must," Yoda says cryptically, narrowing his eyes up at the two men. "Darkness is coming. Be ready for it, we must, less we all perish."

"Master-" Obi-Wan starts before Palpatine cuts him off.

"Cleaver, Master Yoda," Palpatine sounds pleased by something. "Even you know this cannot be stopped, yet you grasp at straws. _I_ am the only one who can do this."

Yoda sends Palpatine the flattest, most chilling stare any of the two men had ever seen, especially from the old green Master. "Chosen One, you are not."

* * *

Padme jerks. One moment she is in unbelievably pain, wanting to punch Anakin and Ob-Wan in the face for stopping to have a chat with him when she so obviously needed a doctor, but simply lost the strength to move. The next moment, she is staring into Obi-Wan's eyes, seeing him stare back at her as if equally perplexed as to how they got there.

Padme's eyes turn to Anakin next to her, surprised by what she sees. Anakin stares back at her, but his hair is chopped short and pulled back into a small ponytail with his padawan braid over his shoulder. He stares back at her, eyes wide, and studying her just as she is with him. They were both younger. She was definitely no longer pregnant. He must still be a padawan because not only does he still have his braid, but his right hand as well.

Then the two of them look over at Obi-Wan, who's lined face is smoother, his hair longer and his stance looser, not pained by injuries he sustained from his time in the war. Even Anakin's posture is more introverted than his regular stance. He must have felt the oddity of it for it because his stance becomes assured. The three of them spare a few awkward moments, staring at one another, not knowing what to say, or who should even speak first.

It wasn't just her. The two of them saw the same thing that she did. She could see it in their eyes. They were just as perplexed by it as she was. Master Yoda must have done something, but she was so delirious with pain and blood loss that she didn't understand much of what happened there at the end. Unfortunately, judging by Obi-Wan's furrowed brows and Anakin's darting eyes, neither of them must know what is going on too.

Anakin opens his mouth, but Padme beats him to it. "Everyone, leave," she catches Dorme shift in her peripheral. "I need to speak with the Jedi alone, please."

JarJar, Dorme and Padme's guards all exit the room different ways. She gives it a couple of seconds before she launches herself into Anakin's arms. Anakin wraps his arms around her and hugs her tightly to him. She couldn't bring herself to care about what happened before this, she just needed to feel him in her arms, even if for just a moment.

"What is going on?" Padme asks. "You saw that too, right?"

"Yes," Anakin says softly. "I... I saw it all."

"As did I," Obi-Wan says, flatly.

Padme pulls back, embarrassed. She looks at Obi-Wan, expecting his disapproving eyes on them and their display of affection, but he was staring beyond them, probably through the Force, before suddenly looking exhausted.

"What was that?" Anakin asks softly, his question directed toward the oldest of them. His posture is slightly timid, as if worried that Obi-Wan will start beating on him at the slightest provocation.

But Obi-Wan doesn't move, seemingly too focused on trying to sift through whatever mental files he's got lined up in his head, before he looks over at them, tired. "I honestly don't know."


	2. Start

**Author's Note: I am simply loving the attention that this story is getting! I am so sorry for the wait! Please, let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: OOCness, Unbeta'd, language.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Word Count: 5,309**

They stood in silence for a moment, just looking around the room, taking this time to really think about what just happened. All three of them wrapped up in their thoughts.

"Was that the Force?" Padme asks, figuring she sounded naïve, but she didn't know how else to explain it. She's obviously never been through anything like this before, the only thing she can do is ask those that know more about it than she what they think. She was no expert on the Force, she knew a bit about it, but would never say she's an expert. She had no idea if such a thing was possible, but she wasn't the one to answer that on her own.

Obi-Wan rubs his forehead for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. He looks around the room again, blue eyes narrowed and keen. Padme knows this room. She's seen it a million times, and knows that Obi-Wan has been there a handful of times, but he's looking at it as if he's never been there before. Or, perhaps, he's seeing something else that he doesn't recognize, Padme doesn't know.

"I don't know," Obi-Wan says again, finally turning his eyes toward Padme. "We must go speak with Master Yoda."

Padme nods in agreement. "Okay."

They head for the elevator when Padme realized that it was just her and Obi-Wan. She stops and turns around to see Anakin still just standing where he was a minute before. He didn't even turn around to follow them. He's completely frozen in place. Obi-Wan looks back at them as Padme walks over to Anakin.

"Ani? What's wrong?" She walks around him and places her hand on his arm. His face is scrunched up and his eyes are squeezed closed. "Anakin? Come on. We have to go see Master Yoda. He's the only one who can explain to us what just happened."

"I can't go," Anakin says, shaking his head.

"Master Yoda knows what you did," Padme insists. "He still... well, did whatever he did to get us here. He will forgive you. But you have to speak with him." She didn't know how to explain what happened to them. Were they somehow sent into the past? Or were they shown the future? Because that is a major difference. If they were sent back in time, their actions are their own, but if they weren't show the future, then it's a possibility that can be changed.

Anakin opens his eyes, staring down at her with a completely tortured look in them. And it's in that moment that Padme realized what was holding him back. It wasn't a fear of Master Yoda, or what he might have to say about everything that he's done, but it was the Temple itself. He doesn't want to go to the Temple. No, he can't go. The last time he was there, he slaughtered children. He can't go back there. She can see it in his eyes. He's not ready to go back just yet. He's not ready to face that place.

Until they find out one way or another what it is that they saw, it's going to torture Anakin. No, either way he's going to have to live with that. Either he was driven to the edge and killed younglings and people that he knew and loved for power, or that vileness is just something that lives inside of him, able to be released at any time so long as the circumstances are met. Padme is no psychologist, but she can already see Anakin being unable to move past this. He shouldn't be able to just forget about it, that does all of his - maybe? - misdeeds and even acts of cruelty a free pass they don't deserve, but Padme just can't bring herself to see him in so much pain.

If they are somehow in the past, then Anakin is going to have to learn how to deal with what he did. Padme knows this. He can't simply forget about it, but he can't let it destroy him. The galaxy needs him, and while he may never be able to forgive himself if he really did do it, he's going to have to find a way to live with himself. He, unfortunately, doesn't have a choice in the matter.

"Maybe I should stay here with him," Padme says, turning slowly to look at Obi-Wan, who's frowning deeply.

"No," Obi-Wan says flatly. "You are going to stay with me. I don't want there to be any funny business behind my back until we get this figured out." He crosses his arms over his chest. Whatever 'funny business' was, Padme doubted any of it would be happening. Not after what they just went through.

Anakin flinches and Padme frowns at his words.

"I can be trusted," Padme says indignant, crossing her arms over her chest.

Obi-Wan stares at her. "It's not you I don't trust," he says. Anakin flinches again.

"Anakin shouldn't be left alone right now," Padme insists. "It's because he was left alone so much that Palpatine was able to get inside his head. He's still delicate right now. Please, Obi-Wan, I promise, we will stay right here until you get back."

Obi-Wan hesitates, looking at Anakin's back, which is hunched over, shoulders bowed inward. Anakin wasn't loud and boisterous. He was quiet and subdued. It was like he was afraid to release too much of his feelings into the Force, which was odd for Anakin, who usually couldn't control it. It was like he was trying to disappear into the Force completely. Never to be distinguished from it again. He hasn't even turned to face Obi-Wan again. His shame is painfully obvious, hovering over him like a dark cloud.

Obi-Wan stares at his back, burning through the younger boy with his eyes. He's mad, so mad, and confused. He doesn't know what else to really do other than just be angry. But he is not angry enough that he cannot see reason. Padme was on their side, and he sense her honestly and desperate need to keep Anakin on the straight and narrow. Well, as much as she can in the situation she helped get him into. She won't leave him alone. She will keep him on a tight leash for the time being.

She can be trusted.

"Fine," Obi-Wan says. "I will be back soon. Anakin," his eyes flicker over to the hunched over back of his one-time Padawan. The boy flinches again under Obi-Wan's steely gaze. "Anakin, are you listening to me?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin says softly, drooping head more.

"Stay here, I mean it. I am not playing. I will be back." Obi-Wan waits for his submissive nod, slightly disturbed by his timid, frightened attitude that is so much unlike his one-time Padawan, before sending a look toward Padme. "Call me if you need me."

Padme nods. "We will be alright. Hurry back."

Obi-Wan casts one more look toward Anakin before he makes his way toward the elevator, anxious about leaving Anakin alone right now, but not sure he will be able to proceed with a clear head unless he gets a bit of time to himself to straighten out his emotions. He doesn't like the brashness that still washes over him. He still feels like a Padawan himself in that regard. Anakin has always needed a delicate hand when being dealt with. Sometimes Obi-Wan feared that he babied Anakin too much, other times, he worried he was too harsh.

Obi-Wan just didn't know anymore. He was in over his head when he first became Anakin's Master. He was young and overwhelmed and knew that it wasn't going to be an easy task, but he knew that he had to grow up quick because Anakin was going to need him to be an adult. Obi-Wan wasn't the average person that had a normal childhood, but he felt he had to grow up quickly so that he could be the best he could be for Anakin's sake.

Obi-Wan sacrificed so much for Anakin, and for what? Anakin destroyed everything that he held dear, and loved. Anakin destroyed everything. Everything would have been so much better had Anakin never been part of the picture.

No, he couldn't think like that. While it may be true that Anakin did it, destroyed everything that Obi-Wan loved, he had to admit that it wasn't always bad. As he traveled down the elevator, his mind is filled with moments of happy times. The only influential man in Anakin's life before Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon was Watto, and that was a poor example at best. Anakin had no idea how to be around Obi-Wan. He was often timid and quiet, watching Obi-Wan desperately to find some sort of connection between them.

All Anakin's life he's only really had his mother. And Obi-Wan was nothing like Shmi Skywalker. He was sterner, more callous, but also twisted by his own personality and view of the galaxy. Obi-Wan had been told many times before, by many people, that he had a sick sense of humor, especially in desperate situations. It was just part of who he was, perhaps his way of coping with the constant need to be perfect in front of the public, as a Jedi. Obi-Wan didn't know. But what he did know was that he shouldn't be like that with Anakin.

Anakin was a child that needed to learn about their way od life and adjust to the loss of the life he lived. He was older than Obi-Wan and was attached to his mother, it wasn't as simple as just leaving. Anakin would stay up late into the night, looking out over the expanse of the stars, trying to find Tatooine in their twinkling, with some strange idea of able to see her from where he was, but Anakin was a child. He had never left home. His longing for his mother could be understood by Obi-Wan, even if Obi-Wan himself had never met his mother. Or at least, remembered her.

Obi-Wan had to grow out of his childish actions almost immediately, being painfully aware of the large, innocent eyes of nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker on him. It was hard, very hard, at first. Obi-Wan didn't know how to be in charge of a padawan, especially since he was freshly out of that phase of his life himself. So their beginning was rough. Anakin was testing lifestyle out and Obi-Wan was very stringent on following the rules and being obeyed. He knew he knew better than Anakin, but he hadn't established that with Anakin just yet.

They butted heads a lot, even years later, but they managed to find their flow. Managed to somehow make their strange relationship work. They were Master and Padawan, but they were also best friends, and soon, even brothers. Anakin said that Obi-Wan was the closest thing he had to a father, which Obi-Wan could understand, but their relationship outside of Obi-Wan telling Anakin what to do, was very much brotherly.

They were very close, Anakin and Obi-Wan. Through all of their fights and arguing, at the very end of the day and in all of the moments that count, they always had the back of the other. They always knew what the other was thinking and at one point, Obi-Wan would have said that they really could have been brothers. For all of the shit going on in the war and everything else in their lives, overall, with one another, they were happy. Or as close to it as they could be.

A faint, forlorn, smile crosses his face for a split second before he sends it away. He can't think about those moments, not now, not when he has to deal with everything with a steady hand and a steely heart. He can reminisce in sadness later. Now, he has to get to the bottom of what has happened.

The elevator dings as it reaches the bottom floor and Obi-Wan moves quickly from it, cloak billowing behind as he rushes to the entrance of the Senate building and onto the streets, locating the Temple immediately and heading that way. Obi-Wan makes it there in record time, rushing up toward the elevator and anxiously waits for the long ride up to the top level of the Temple. Anakin and Obi-Wan just left the meeting for this mission not an hour prior, they should still be in session. It's late into the night and the Temple is quieting down, with few roaming the halls, but the Council meetings tended to go later into the night.

Once the door opens, Obi-Wan slows his fast, anxious pace down the hall, casting a half glance toward the Temple Guards standing rigidly against the walls, armed with their sabers in their hands, unlit, keeping careful vigilance over the hall leading to the Masters. It's a good indicator that the Masters were still in there that all the guards were present.

He stops outside the door, having to remind himself that he is a Knight at the moment and not a Master, especially one of the Council. He couldn't just go barging in there like he could as a Council Master. He had to wait to be welcomed.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, here to speak with the Masters," Obi-Wan says to the guards stationed on either side of the door.

"The Masters are not seeing anyone at the moment," the guard on the right says. "You will have to come back at another time, Knight Kenobi."

"I understand," Obi-Wan says, crossing his hands neatly in front of him to try and stop them from anxiously twitching, "but it is important. I must speak with Master Yoda, immediately."

"Master Yoda-" the second guard starts but is silenced by the gaze sent to him by the other.

"One moment," the first guard says, turning, opening the door and disappearing inside. Obi-Wan narrows his eyes in confusion, a terrible feeling settling in the pit of his gut. Something is going on with Master Yoda? He's got a very bad feeling about this.

The other guard avoids Obi-Wan's curious gaze, probably feeling bad for speaking out of turn. Obi-Wan quietly waits until the door opens and the guard steps out, with Knight Secura right behind him.

"Knight Kenobi," Secura says, closing the door behind her.

"Knight Secura," Obi-Wan says, surprised to see the pretty blue Twi'lek. "Is something wrong? I was here to speak with Master Yoda."

Secura steps away from the door a bit to give the guards some room. "Master Yoda is currently indisposed right now," Secura says, waving for him to follow her down the hall. The horrible feeling in his stomach gets stronger.

"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asks frankly. "Don't dance around the issue. Is Master Yoda alright?"

Secura pauses, contemplating something, before she turns to Obi-Wan, worry etching onto her pretty face. "Shortly after your mission briefing with Padawan Skywalker," Secura says slowly, "Master Yoda got distracted by something through the Force. He stood up abruptly, saying he had to go rest, he wasn't feeling well, but then he just collapsed. He was taken to the healers but they don't know what's wrong. He's entered into a deep meditative trance that they can't seem to pull him from."

"What?" Obi-Wan's eyebrows pull together tightly. "And how is he now?"

"Still in the trance," Secura says. Right, she literally just said that. "But the Masters don't want to alarm anyone. I'm going to go stand guard over him while he sleeps, but the Masters have to discuss what they are going to do while he is unable to perform his duties. They need a stand-in Grand Master to make decisions in his absence. Especially if this is prelude to something bad coming." Knight Secura wrings her hands in front of her stomach, looking worried. "I received permission from the Council to tell you, Obi-Wan, but that is why they cannot speak with you now."

Normally, Obi-Wan would be confused as to why they would share such delicate information with him of all people, but he already knew the truth. He was being considered for promotion to be a Master, and had been for a while. Not only that, but they were looking at him as a possible Council Master as well. Everything he became privy to, was them testing to see if he was prepared for the responsibility of being both on the Council, and a Master.

"I... see," Obi-Wan says slowly. "Then, I will leave it for now. Please, watch over Master Yoda diligently, Aayla."

Secura looks deeply worried. "Thank you, Obi-Wan. I will. May the Force be with you."

"And you as well."

Numbly, Obi-Wan heads back to the Senate building, unable to believe this turn of events. Worried about the old, green Master, and what the future may hold. As much as he wants to stand around, or even go to see Yoda himself, he knew he had to get back to Anakin and Padme, lest this already horrible start to their mission gets worse.

* * *

Padme finally coxes Anakin to sit down on the couch and grabs him a glass of water before sitting next to him. He holds it in his hand, not seeing anything, as if mind is lost to his thoughts. After a few minutes of him ignoring the cup of water, Padme pulls it gently from his fingers and places it on the table in front of them before watching him again.

After five minutes of straight silence, Padme finally says, softly, "Anakin, please talk to me."

"What have I done?" Anakin murmurs, eyes miles away and lost. "I thought that I was protecting you. I thought that nothing else mattered so long as you would be alright. So long as I could be strong enough to save you, I wouldn't mind whatever had to be done. I would somehow be able to live with it. Whatever had to be done, had to be done. What..." he shakes his head, eyebrows pulled together tightly. "What is happening to me?"

"I don't know," Padme admits, "but you aren't alone, Ani. I'm here. Please don't go to him anymore. Don't listen to anything he says anymore. Please, Anakin. I don't want to lose you." Padme feels the tears sliding down her cheeks. She takes a few shuttering breaths that seem to pull Anakin from his thoughts, his beautiful but terribly sad steel blue eyes land on her. He reaches out and pulls her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Padme. I am so sorry. I don't know how, but I will make this up to you. I promise. I will make everything better. I won't go to him. I won't speak to him. I won't fall for his words, please, please don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Anakin says quickly, his entire body shaking from the force of his emotions. He's honestly terrified. He's scared that she is going to leave him. That he won't be able to somehow make this better.

Padme's not sure how she feels about all of this. On one hand, she knows that the truth of just how far Anakin is willing to go for her might just be enough to destroy him - again. Deep in the recesses of her mind, Padme is terrified by that knowledge. There is a bit of romanticism in knowing that her husband would do anything for her, is a good feeling, but realizing just how far - meaning betraying the Republic, the Jedi and even her, is a lot to take in. It's obvious that Anakin is upset by all of this, but the dark little voice in the back of her mind, can't help but note that while he does seem upset by what happened; his biggest fear of all is her leaving him.

His connection to the Jedi, the Republic and even the Light Side of the Force is literally hanging by threads. There has got to be more to anchor him to the Light. Even if he decides to somehow leave the Jedi Order, Padme is going to have to be a lot more careful about how she goes about... everything.

But is that the way that she wants to live her life?

No, Padme loves Anakin. She loves him so much. She just has to come to terms with another side of her husband and maybe it won't be so bad. Anakin has always been real anxious and wound up tight, maybe if he stays away from Palpatine, they will be able settle his frayed nerves. Maybe the distance will do him good. Anakin was always telling her that the Dark Side had settled over Coruscant because of the presence of the Dark Lord that they couldn't locate. If they stop Palpatine, maybe Anakin will be able to find himself better.

Is she willing to blindly believe that all of the terrible things that Anakin did was solely because of the Dark Side and Dark Lord, with no other outside influence? Is she willing to close her eyes and pretend that there is a strong chance that the core of these behaviors might be Anakin? She doesn't know. She's going to have to keep a close eye on him as well, and pray.

Padme wipes her face of her drying tears and looks up at Anakin, seeing the horror deep in them. Maybe it's smart that not only he avoids the Temple for a while, but the Masters too. If Padme can see the horror in his eyes, the Masters could probably sense it like a tidal wave coming out of him. Yes, he should probably stay by her side for a while.

Padme reaches up and caresses Anakin's smooth, young face, wondering if he ever looked this young. It was only a few short years ago that he looked like this, but he looks like he's been through hell and without his scar over his right eye, he looks so young. Only his eyes are old and wise, having seen the worst this galaxy has to offer for a hundred lifetimes. He's so young, yet his eyes show the horror of hundreds of years.

"Obi-Wan hates me," Anakin says softly, looking tired and lost.

"No, he doesn't," Padme says immediately, then wonders if that's true. She couldn't feel the Force, but she was adept at reading people. She has spent her entire life learning to read people, and just simply watching them as Queen and Senator, so she didn't need the Force to tell her that Obi-Wan was in pain. A lot of pain, and probably more than Anakin. She knew that Obi-Wan was a good, kind man with a gentle heart, but this is probably the worst form of betrayal. Obi-Wan deeply loves - loved - Anakin and this betrayal hit him hard.

She can't blame Obi-Wan for being mad. She just hopes that they will be able to figure this out. All of them. She knows that the two of them are going to have to figure this out together, but she just hopes this doesn't destroy them. Anakin and Obi-Wan haven't been getting along with one another for a while now. She's afraid that this is going to ruin them completely.

Anakin stares at her, knowing that she spoke without thinking.

"He's mad," Padme amends. She runs her thumbs up and down his cheeks, caressing them lovingly. "And he's hurt, Ani. Can you blame him? Your choices don't just affect you."

Anakin's long lashes lower to his high cheek bones. "I don't know what I was thinking..."

"I know," Padme says softly. "And I might be just gullible enough to believe you, but Anakin, Obi-Wan is in pain. Real pain. Everything he knew and loved was ripped away in a single instance, and now it's back. He's going to have whip lash for a while. I think we all are. But things won't easily go back to the way they were. We are all going to have to adjust."

Anakin nods slowly. "I don't know how to do that," he admits after a few minutes of silence. He closes his eyes for a moment before looking over at Padme again. "I don't know how to adjust."

Padme smiles faintly at him. It's thin and meek without any sort of mirth. "We are all going to have to figure it out, Ani. I don't have the answers. But we can do it if we are all together." She gives him a level stare. "But, Ani, you know that it's not going to be an easy road ahead of us. We have to do this together. You, me, Obi-Wan and Master Yoda."

"I know." Anakin reaches up and scratches at the back of his neck. He lets out a deep, long winded sigh, running his hands up and down his face. "I don't know how to face them. It's like, I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. Is... Is that truly the power of the Dark Side?" Anakin asks softly, looking lost. "Or, was that who I really am as a person?"

"Anakin," Padme cuts in, not wanting to think about how she was wondering very much the same thing not so long ago, "I can honestly say that I know little to nothing about the Dark Side, but I do know you. You're confused and hurt and Palpatine was in your head. You have to stay away from him and his influence. I can't say how all of this is going to play out, but I know that we are all going to have to work together. We can't let Palpatine get away with this. Master Yoda must know something, right?"

Anakin shakes his head slowly. "I honestly don't know anymore. I feel very... disconnected."

"From the Jedi?" Padme asks.

Anakin shrugs his shoulders. "Yes, but the Force too. Something feels wrong."

Padme's eyebrows pull together tightly in confusion. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

Anakin roughly rubs at his forehead, trying to piece the words together, but it doesn't appear to come easily. He lets out a low sigh of defeat, shaking his head once more. "I don't know. I don't know how to explain it. Everything feels off to me. Wrong, somehow."

"Is it because of whatever Master Yoda did to get us here?" Padme asks, placing a hand on his arm.

Anakin stares deep into her eyes, looking tired, afraid and lost. "I just don't know."

"Well, that makes two of us."

Padme and Anakin turn to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway to the living room, watching them with his arms crossed over his chest and a hard look on his face. Anakin bows his head in submission, or perhaps he's just not ready to meet Obi-Wan's eyes just yet.

"You're back quicker than I expected," Padme admits. "What did Master Yoda say?"

"Nothing," Obi-Wan says simply. "He appears to be in a coma at the moment." His attitude was so flippant when he said that, Padme didn't catch the real urgency in his words until she took a moment to analyze them.

"What?" She gasps, half a second behind Anakin's.

"He's in a meditative trance they can't seem to coax him out of," Obi-Wan says, walking over to the couch opposite of theirs and falls back into it. Obi-Wan looks physically exhausted. He melts into the couch, shoulders slumping and eyes sliding closed. "Now is when you guess that it happened."

"After we returned," Anakin says, eyebrows pulling together tightly.

Obi-Wan points at him, lazily, before rubbing his face. "Correct."

Padme feels her heart plummet into her feet. She looks between Anakin and Obi-Wan, both appearing to be exhausted now. "What do we do? Without Master Yoda to tell us what he did, are we just going to... let this play out?"

"No!" Anakin and Obi-Wan say at once, lurching forward to pin her down with their eyes.

Padme frowns. "No, I meant the attempt on my life, finding the clones and stopping Dooku. I don't want this war to happen. Any of it." She crosses her arms over her chest, eyes narrowed.

"No one is going to hurt you," Anakin says, his voice flat. "I'm not going to allow it."

"You can't stop someone from wanting my life," Padme says, looking up into Anakin's intense steel blue eyes. "But I know you will protect me." Padme reaches out and caresses his cheek, carefully. "But you can't lose control of yourself, Ani. I will be fine. I always have been."

Anakin's anger simmers down and a flash of shame crosses his eyes, but he looks away. "I know that," he says, quietly.

Obi-Wan rubs roughly at his forehead, letting out a long winded sigh. "We can't do much other than follow the flow. Master Yoda is the only one who could probably explain what happened."

Padme and Anakin both nod in agreement.

"But," Anakin says slowly, blinking rapidly when Obi-Wan icy blue eyes turn toward him. He closes his eyes for a moment before opening them and continuing, " _But_ is there really a point in doing this dance? We already know everything. Jango Fett is behind the assassination attempts, even the one tonight. He lives on Kamino with his clone son and the Kaminoians are making an army for the Republic-"

"-The Dark Lord-" Obi-Wan bitterly supplies.

Anakin blinks slowly before continuing, "But most of all, we know who the Dark Lord is, and his ultimate plan."

"Yes," Obi-Wan says smoothly, staring at them through half-lidded blue eyes, "he is going to orchestrate this entire war, working both sides like a chess game." Obi-Wan frowns deeply, glaring out the window behind Anakin's head. He blinks again, face smoothing out as a thought comes to him. "Then again..." Obi-Wan says slowly.

"So do we," Anakin and Obi-Wan say together, eyes locking for the first time since they were brought back in time - or whatever it was that Yoda did to them.

Padme wasn't sure this was the most solid foundation to rebuild their relationship on, but it was a start that she was willing to accept.

 _For the Reviewers:_

 _1\. davycrochett100: Thanks!_

 _2\. Guest 1: That, or Yoda did something else that they have yet to figure out. Thanks!_

 _3\. SilentSambo88: Well, I can't please everyone, I suppose. Thanks for giving it a shot, though!_

 _4\. ThunderSphinx: Yes, they do appear to have a do-over, but it's not going to be all smooth sailing. Then again, no good story would. :D_

 _5\. Guest 2: Thank you for your kind words! I appreciate it!_

 _6\. Guest 3: You are too kind! Thank you! I am so sorry for the wait!_

 _7\. supernova01: Thank you!_

 _8\. Guest 4: Thank you!_

 _9\. Guest 5: I am sorry about the wait! Thank you!_

 _10\. Guest 6: I really appreciate your kind words! I had a bit of mixed feelings about the dialogue. I wanted to keep some of the original dialogue in place, to keep true to the originally story, which wasn't completely taken by all of the readers, but I appreciate your kindness!_

 _11\. BloodyAntares: What answers are you seeking, friend? :D_

 _12\. Reader: Thank you so much! I hope that I can continue to live up to your expectations! I hope you enjoyed!_


	3. New Verse, Same as the First

**Author's Note: I'm sorry about the wait! I really like the attention that this story is getting, I hope that it still holds up to your standards. Hearing from you guys really inspires me to keep going, so I appreciate it! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: OOCness, Unbeta'd, language.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Word Count: 5,237**

Padme runs her fingers through her hair, feeling her long, thin digits catch on just about every knot that has found it's way into her curly locks. Padme looks down at her vanity, all of her different jewelry; necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings, her hair brush and comb along with hair spray and al sorts of small headdresses that she pulled out to choose between for the meetings she was adamant that she was going to go to the next day, even though her life was in danger.

There is a light knock at her door that pulls her attention away from surveying the items on the vanity. "Come in!" She calls, already knowing who it was. She hears the door open and close and a few moments later, Anakin's warm fingers settle on her collar bone, lightly drumming against the protrusion.

"You're so beautiful," Anakin says softly.

Padme smiles faintly, reaching up with her hands and cover his fingers with her own. "Thank you, Ani."

He starts to massage her shoulders a bit, working the tense muscles with calloused, strong fingers. In the mirror, she looks at his tanned phalanges moving across her lighter skin, seeing all ten digits. It's been so long since Anakin has touched her with both of his real hands since he lost his right one. He must have noticed that too because it's primarily his right hand that's doing most of the moving, like he's trying to remember what it's like to feel with that hand.

"Did you and Obi-Wan speak at all after I left?" Padme asks, using her long, manicured nails rub at the back of his hands. Anakin, who is just tall enough that she can't see his face in the reflection of her large mirror, lets out a long, slow sigh, lowering his head to kiss her forehead.

"No," he says. "I couldn't stand the silence any longer, so I got up and came in here. I think he's still laying on the couch."

Padme sighs, wishing that they would have spoken, but maybe it's better that they leave a bit of distance between them for now to try and get over their hurt feelings. Er, Obi-Wan's hurt feelings. Anakin has much to apologize for, but Obi-Wan has got to be willing to listen. Right now, the craziness of the situation is enough to draw their attention but it won't be like that forever. At some point they are going to reach a boiling point and Padme is a bit afraid that they are going to come to blows at that moment, but maybe that's what they need in order to start healing.

Or, at least, she hopes so. She hopes they don't have to fight in order to start healing, but she would be naïve to believe that they would just get over what happened like it didn't.

Padme pulls her hands away from Anakin's and runs it over her nightgown, the smooth, silk fabric sliding under her fingers. She runs her digits over her toned, flat stomach and this horrible feeling presses down heavily on her chest. It hits her so suddenly that tears spring up in her eyes. A sob rips from her, without her control, and she brings her hands up to cover her mouth.

"Padme?" Anakin asks, pulling her long hair away from her face. "Padme, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Padme shakes her head slowly, tears sliding down her face. "Scared?" He asks softly. She shakes her head.

"Our baby," she moans. "I never got to hold our baby." She lowers her hands to her stomach and rubs it. In her memory she can feel the bulging belly and feel the life inside of her moving around. Lives, she recalls. She was notified that they were going to have twins. She never got to tell Anakin. He only thought it was one baby. "Babies, I mean. We were going to have two."

Anakin doesn't say anything and his fingers still for a moment before pulling away from her. "Two?" he asks softly.

Padme nods, not able to bring herself to say more. Anakin reaches forward and grabs her hand, tugging on it a bit until she turns around on her bench and he pulls her up into his arms, hugging her so tightly it hurt. But she didn't care that he was squeezing her so hard it was difficult to breath. She wraps her arms around his waist and buries her face in his chest to cry.

"I never got to hold them," Padme sobs, shaking hard. "I want to hold them. Why can't they be here?"

Anakin's breathing is ragged and shallow. Padme pauses in crying, just listening to her husband's quiet breathing. He's trying not to draw attention to his crying. He wanted to hold their child too, and now learning that he won't get to hold either of them, is a deep pain for both of them. He wouldn't allow her to pull away from him so that she could see his face, but she felt a tear land on her cheek that wasn't her own. So Padme and Anakin cry quietly, holding tightly onto one another until all that they can hear is each other breathing. Padme still shutters and shakes a bit in her grief, but Anakin has since quieted.

They stand there in silence, leaning heavily against one another, just feeling the heat of the other person's body. Padme looks out the window to see that it's starting to get dark out. Before Obi-Wan and Anakin have to run off to chase down her assassin, they should talk about their next moves. She wants to stand around and continue grieving the children she will never meet, but knows that she's all cried out for now. Between Mustafar and now, she's exhausted and there isn't a drop of water left in her body.

"Can you grab my robe for me, Ani?" Padme asks softly. "We need to speak with Obi-Wan about what we are going to do now."

"Yeah," Anakin says, but he doesn't pull back right away. His grip on her has loosened up into a gentle, protective circle around her. She's not mad. She doesn't want to pull away from him just yet either.

Neither move for a solid minute.

"Anakin?"

"Padme?"

"I love you."

Anakin doesn't respond, his entire body freezes before he squeezes his arms around her tightly, kissing her forehead a few times. Harder and harder, then he pulls away. Padme watches as he walks over to her bed and grabs her long, silky robe and walks over to her, running his fingers over the smooth material, not looking at her.

He helps her put it on and as he's pulling it up onto her shoulder, he leans down, whispering so softly into her ear, "I love you so much."

Padme pulls away from his tough and turns around to kiss him softly on the lips. She can feel the strangeness between them, and she knows he does too, but they can't focus on that now. They have to just focus on what they can deal with. They love each other, deeply, and that won't change, but they are going to have to come to terms with the shift in their relationship too.

But not now. Now they have to focus on things a lot bigger than them.

He kisses her one more time before pulling away and heading for the door. Padme follows after him, tying her robe closed and following him out of the room and back toward the living room. Obi-Wan isn't on the couch, but standing on the balcony outside, just standing there with his hands behind his back, watching the speeders race by and the lights of the signs flicker and shine in the growing darkness.

"Obi-Wan?" Padme calls out.

The older man turns to look at them over his shoulder, his brow creased deeply, as if he was lost in thought about something that he wasn't happy about it. Unfortunately, that could be any number of things at this point. Padme walks over to the couch, lowering down to it while Anakin sits down beside her. Obi-Wan walks toward them, closing the sliding door firmly and walking over to the other couch and sitting. He leans forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands dangling between his legs.

"Are we ready to talk?" Obi-Wan asks, looking exhausted. He looks exactly as she feels. In fact, they all do.

"Yes," Padme says. "What is the plan? Ultimately we have to get to Geonosis, and until Master Yoda wakes up and helps us figure out what it is that he did to bring us here, how are we going to go about getting there?"

Obi-Wan lets out a slow sigh. "Well, regardless of the little things. I know where Kamino is now and will be able to simply go there and speak with the cloners ahead of schedule, and let the Masters know about the Clones, which gets that out of the way, and from there, I can allow Jango to escape and follow him to Geonosis, as planned."

"Then," Padme says, "instead of going to Naboo, Anakin and I will go straight to Tatooine to wait for your message."

Obi-Wan stares at her while Anakin raises an eyebrow. "Why would we just go-" Anakin stops, blinking rapidly in confusion. "My mother!" His entire face lights up in hope. "She's alive!"

Padme smiles. "That's what I was thinking."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows pull together in worry. "I don't believe that's such a good idea..."

"What?" Anakin snaps, finally turning his eyes toward Obi-Wan. "This is my mother we are talking about! I have to go and help her! I failed her before, I can't do it again! I have to go."

Obi-Wan glares at him. "Yes? And just how many Sand People are you going to kill this time around?" Obi-Wan looks shocked by his own words, like he hadn't meant to say it aloud. He steels himself, though, not talking it back.

Anakin must not have expected that, because he chokes on whatever he was going to say next. His jaw snaps closed and he stares at Obi-Wan in shock, confusion and hurt. "What?" He mumbles out, lips barely moving.

"You thought I didn't know?" Obi-Wan asks, raising his eyebrows. "Anakin, I could feel the stain of death on you and when I realized you were Tatooine, coupled with what I knew about your vision, it wasn't hard to figure out." Obi-Wan starts shaking his head. "That, and Master Yoda approached me while you were in the hospital to speak to me about it. You hadn't fallen to the Dark Side, but he was worried about how close you were, Anakin."

Anakin's metaphorical shackles lay flat as he wilts like a flower under a hail storm. "I..." he closes his eyes for a moment, trying to decide what to say to defend himself. "I..." he shakes his head and opens his eyes. "I have to save her, Obi-Wan. She's my mother." He's pleading and desperate.

Obi-Wan looks angry, betrayed. "I know," he says flatly. He closes his eyes, like all of this anger is wearing him down even more. "What do you think I'm going to say, Anakin? You can't go and save your mother from torture and death? Do you think I am so heartless?"

Anakin blinks rapidly, shaking his head. "I have to save her." Padme flinches at that. He couldn't have just said, "No, Master. I don't think you are the heartless monster that Palpatine made me believe that you were!" But instead he avoided the question.

Obi-Wan sighs, looking away for a moment to cover the flash of hurt in his eyes. "I know, and I can't exactly stop you, can I?" He rubs roughly at his face. "Anakin, I can't just let you go to Tatooine knowing that you are not only going to ignore the Code by seeing your mother, but downright break it, when you commit such a heinous crime against the Raiders. Whether they deserve it or not, is not for you to decide!"

Anakin clenches his jaw. "I-"

"Do you want to fall to the Dark Side, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asks, glaring at the younger man in front of him.

Anakin blinks in surprise. His shoulder droop a bit and he shakes his head. "No. I don't."

"Then listen to me, for once in your life," Obi-Wan snaps. "If you go there and do what you did before, then you are just waltzing down the same path and you know how that one ended, right?"

"I do," Anakin says slowly, looking away. "I don't need you patronizing me."

Obi-Wan shakes his head slowly, looking like he begged to differ, but before he could say more, Padme cuts in. "He won't kill the Tusken Raiders. I promise you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan and Anakin turn to look at her, as if they forgot that she was there, they were so focused on each other.

"How can you promise that?" Obi-Wan asks.

"Because I will go with him to save Shmi," Padme says, her voice even. "I stayed behind as Shmi's husband's house while Anakin went on his own. That will not be the case this time. I will go with him and ensure that there isn't a repeat of what happened the first time." Padme rolls her thin shoulders back and stares into Obi-Wan's eyes. "I don't want anything bad to happen just as much as you do. We need the Clone army to fight the droids to survive the war that we all know is coming. But Anakin is fragile right now, we need to use every avenue we can to help him, and saving the life of Shmi Skywalker is the first step."

"Padme..." Anakin says softly.

"Shmi Skywalker was a nice lady who helped us all those years ago when she didn't have to," Padme says. "She does not deserve this fate, Obi-Wan. She does not deserve to die, scared and alone." Padme pushes long curly hair over her shoulder. "I can't compare what it's like to actually hold your child in your arms and having nine years with them," Padme says softly. Anakin lowers his eyes, clenching both his hands into fists while Obi-Wan blinks, taking a moment to understand what she is saying. When he realizes it, he closes his eyes in shame. "But nine years isn't enough time. For either of them. I know you are mad at Anakin, Obi-Wan, and me, and you have all the right to be, but from a woman who was close to being a mother and can only imagine, please let that nice lady who helped us out when she didn't have to, see the only child she ever brought into this galaxy."

The room is silent. No one says anything for a solid minute, which worked because the door opened up and Dorme comes walking in, her hands filled with paper work that Padme had sent her out to get so that they could talk.

"I believe I got everything that you've asked for, my lady," Dorme says, walking into the room and stopping, feeling the tense atmosphere. All three of them turn to look at Padme's handmaiden with looks of exhaustion and defeat. Dorme's dark eyes flicker between all three of them, her eyebrows pulling together. "Is everything alright? You all look so tired..." She blinks. "Should I make some coffee?"

"Yes, please, Dorme, thank you," Padme says.

Dorme nods. "Then... I will place all of these papers in your office and make some coffee."

"Thank you," Padme says. Anakin nods his thanks, but doesn't open his mouth.

"Yes, thank you," Obi-Wan says. Dorme blushes and turns away quickly, rushing from the room.

Obi-Wan raises and eyebrow and looks over at Padme. "All of my handmaidens have a crush on you," Padme says, offering a tired, thin smile. "Literally all of them."

Obi-Wan blinks really fast for almost an entire minute before rubbing his face roughly. "Putting that aside for now," he says, a tinge of embarrassment in his voice. "If I let the two of you go to Tatooine and Anakin kills all of those Sand People, their lives will be on my hands," Obi-Wan whispers. "Are you honestly asking me to trust that he won't do it this time around?"

"Yes," Padme whispers back, leaning toward him. "Things are going to be different. Please, believe me."

Obi-Wan sighs, rubbing his face again. "I can't believe this." He leans back against the couch, letting out a deep sigh. "Let me think about it." He groans, rubbing his face once more, looking completely worn out.

Dorme comes in, tray in hands with three cups of coffee. "Master Jedi," Dorme looks between Anakin and Obi-Wan, "I wasn't sure how you wanted your coffee. Sugar? Milk?"

"Yes, please," Obi-Wan says. Anakin nods in agreement. Dorme stands back up, passes Padme her own cup, and heads for the kitchen.

"Fine," Obi-Wan says as soon as she's out of ear shot. "I do not trust you," he says, looking right at Anakin. "I do not trust that you will change because I have spent the better part of thirteen years begging for you to, but Padme is right. Shmi Skywalker is a kind, innocent woman who doesn't deserve the hand she was dealt. I will turn a blind eye to you two going to Tatooine."

"You won't regret this," Anakin says, looking lively again. "I'm not going to let you down, Obi-Wan, I promise."

Obi-Wan looks sad, like he wants to believe that. "I doubt that. I'm already regretting it." The anger is gone, now he just looks tired and sad. Very tired, and very sad.

"I'm not going to fall into the clutches of Palpatine," Anakin says. "I'll figure a way around this without all of those terrible things. I can do this. I will make you believe me. Things are going to be different this time. I promise."

Obi-Wan stares at him, looking so unbelievably sad that Anakin's smile fades. "For everyone's sake, Anakin, I hope and pray that you are right."

"Milk and sugar," Dorme says, bouncing into the room with a smile. Obi-Wan forces a small smile and a quiet thanks, but otherwise no one else speaks.

* * *

Padme lays in bed with her back to the window, looking at Anakin, who's sitting on the floor next to her. The droid can't see that there is someone else in the room or that might ruin the plan. She holds onto his hand and stares into his eyes. It has been a really long series of events for both of them and she can see that he's exhausted, but their night isn't over yet. Padme looks over at R2-D2, who sits in sleep mode on the other side of the room, unmoving. The lights filtering in through the shades glean off of his metal frame.

Padme smiles a bit at the loyal astromech droid, knowing that while he was of assistance to them during the Trade Federation Occupation of Naboo situation, getting them out of the Naboo blockade and helped Anakin finally liberate the planet from the droid army, she never imagined how big of an ally and friend he would become her and her husband. Such a good little droid.

Padme looks away from the slumbering droid to look down at her slumbering... husband? Boyfriend? Lover? Whatever. It doesn't really matter the label. They could be soul mates for all she cares. He was hers and she was his.

Anakin sits with his back up against the wall, his elbows resting on his bent knees, cradling her right hand in his own. His eyes is closed, seemingly oblivious to her staring. He's either meditating, or sleeping, she's not sure, but at least his face has smoothed out a bit. Obi-Wan approved of them not only going to Tatooine, but for Anakin to see, and save, his mother.

She doesn't want to disturb any possible rest he might be getting in these small moments, but she knows that she has to tell him something. Something she thought about in the back of her mind, but didn't give it the proper consideration that it needed. She knows that what she's going to say wont somehow magically make the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan peachy again, but maybe it'll be the right avenue for them to start going down.

A light fills the room for a moment, revealing the deep dark shadows under Anakin's eyes. Padme closes her mouth, realizing that while she wants to help mend everyone's relationships as soon as possible. Right now, Anakin and Obi-Wan need rest. When they left to come into her room, Obi-Wan spoke with her captain, telling him that Anakin would stay with Padme and meditate in her room while he stayed out in the living room to meditate and trusted that her guards would be able to aptly secure the floor without them.

Padme was surprised at first by Obi-Wan just allowing her and Anakin to go off together, but then she remembered why. No matter how mad he was at Anakin, how betrayed, at the very core of his being, Obi-Wan loved Anakin. Loved him and worried for him. As much as he was worried about what was to come and Anakin possibly walking down the same dark road he originally walked, he knew that Anakin needed Padme.

Because since the very beginning, he's known the truth. He knew that Anakin was in love with Padme, deeply and wholly, and how that was against the Code, but he turned a blind eye to it, because while he has a lot of faith and dedication to the Code, he loves Anakin more. All that stuff about him ignoring the Code for his mother, that he seemed to care about before, was a front because he was hurt. He knows that Anakin's care for the Code was frail and more like suggestion rather than a way to live, but he still said that because his real concern was Anakin's fall.

If Anakin breaks the Code to kill the Tusken Raiders again, it doesn't matter what good he does saving his mother if he taints the deed in darkness. He doesn't really care about the Sand People, he's worried about Anakin. Although, unfortunately, he didn't make it seem that way, which is probably what is going to continue to build this wall between them.

Both of them are obviously hurt and not wanting to admit to it just yet, so they keep doing these little jabs and remarks to let go of a bit of their pain, even though they are just hurting themselves and each other more. Padme closes her eyes, hoping that they will be able to reach common, pleasant ground soon. Padme can't always be there to help mend the tension between them when they leave for war - the though makes her want to puke in worry, for both of them - so they are going to have to find a way to settle this bad blood and move forward.

Padme must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knows, Anakin is slowly pulling the covers away from her. She jerks a bit, but his hand on her shoulder stops her from sitting up all the way. She lowers back down slowly, seeing him shaking his head slowly. She nods minutely, slowly scooting her legs out next to him and sliding off the bed, into his arms. She practically throws herself off of him as he goes for his lightsaber, igniting it and casting a stark blue light into the somewhat dark room, and swinging it around.

The door kicks open, casting the light from the hall into the room. Padme looks up at Obi-Wan standing in the doorway, looking annoyed and done.

"New verse, same as the first," Obi-Wan groans before running and throwing himself through the window.

Maybe it's because they are all tired, but Padme's sure, somewhere in the back of her head, there is a better way of going about all of this. One of them couldn't have been waiting in a speeder to chase the droid down to the changling. They didn't have to bust through her window again. Not that she really cared, but if they are sent back a third time to do this, he's going to overshoot or something. This can't be something that they keep doing. Seriously.

Anakin hops off the bed and runs from the room. Dorme comes rushing past him a moment later stopping at the doorway, looking around frantically before seeing Padme laying on her stomach on the floor, staring up at her.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Dorme asks, rushing over to her. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"I'm fine," Padme says. "And I tripped."

Dorme helps Padme to her feet and out of the room as her guards piled into the room. They go through that nonsense one more time. Padme explains what happened to the Senatorial guards and her own. Someone comes in to fix the window as the guards remove the bug in little plastic baggies. Padme goes through all the questions again, and once it was over, she waited for them to leave before curling up on the couch, exhausted. Her home was a mad house for hours as they try to ensure that her life is no longer in danger and they have gathered all the evidence that they need.

"I'm going to have to cancel all of my meetings," Padme says, rubbing her forehead roughly, now that it's just her and Dorme again. Padme's guards all piled out of the room as well to secure the area once more.

"Can I get you something, my lady?" Dorme asks, standing at her side.

"No, Dorme, thank you," Padme says, closing her eyes. "I'm just going to lay here for a while. You can go back to bed."

Dorme is quiet for a moment. Padme feels the couch dip a bit as Dorme sits down and places her hand on Padme's shoulder. "I'm going to stay with you, my lady, if you will permit it."

Padme opens her eyes and stares up at her longtime handmaiden and friend, seeing the pretty young girl stare back at her with kind brown eyes. Padme offers her a soft, sweet smile. "Thank you, Dorme. I would love the company." Dorme smiles back at her, seemingly grateful.

* * *

The next morning, when Anakin and Obi-Wan finally stumble back into her apartment, everything immediately starts moving. Obi-Wan sends word to the Masters, basically explaining the situation. Obi-Wan "picked up a lead" on who could be behind this attack, and was going to search for answers, while Anakin and Padme were going into hiding, away from the prying eyes of Padme's possible assassin until it's time for her to return to cast her vote about militarizing the Republic once more. Honestly, knowing what she knows, Padme can't bring herself to care about this vote. Regardless of her beliefs, they need the Clone army in order to stop the Separatists.

As much as she wants to open up some kind of diplomatic dialogue, she knows that it'll take time and she's going to have to be a lot more clever about how she goes about it. Count Dooku and Palpatine are going to make this entire thing very difficult for her to do. They will do everything they can to keep this war going on as long as they can in order to fill the people's hearts with hate for the Jedi, make Anakin's hatred stronger and his belief in the Jedi weaker.

Padme and Anakin get off of the tram with Obi-Wan, Padme having already thanked her captain for everything and promising to be back soon, so that the three of them could have one more moment to talk in private before they separate.

"Be good, you two," Obi-Wan says, rubbing his forehead, exhausted.

"Obi-Wan, please be careful," Padme says, stepping over to him and placing a hand on his arm. "I know you can handle yourself, but you're tired. Get some rest before you head out, okay?"

Obi-Wan smiles faintly, patting her hand on his arm. "Thank you, Padme. I appreciate the concern, but I'll be alright. As for the two of you, be careful as well."

Padme pulls her hand back and steps next to Anakin once more. "We will. Thank you, Obi-Wan." Padme and Anakin bow to Obi-Wan before turning to leave. They only make it a few steps when Obi-Wan calls out to them.

"Anakin?"

The Knight made Padawan once more, freezes for a second, closing his eyes before turning around and opening them again. "Yes, Master..?"

Obi-Wan looks around for a moment, as if greatly uncomfortable by something, mentally warring with himself. Finally, he lets out a slow sigh, cupping his hands in front of himself and saying, without looking at Anakin, "Good luck out there. I hope you are able to save your mother and everything works out fine."

Anakin smiles a bit, also looking away. "Thank you, Master. May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan nods, bringing his eyes up to lock with Anakin's. "You're welcome. May the Force with you as well, Anakin. Padme." He gives the faintly smiling Senator a little nod.

She quickly hides her smile and nods back. "Obi-Wan." With that, Padme and Anakin both head down toward their transport. Padme had called ahead to the Queen on Naboo and requested a ship for them to be able to take to Tatooine. She was not happy about Padme's decision not to just stay on Naboo, but agreed to help her out anyway. They are going to Thead on Naboo and then straight for the Lars home in hopes of being able to save Shmi Skywalker before it's too late. Then maybe, just maybe, they are on the right path to saving their future.

 _For the Reviewers:_

 _1\. wingofpain: Thank you! Hopefully it will get more interesting._

 _2\. davycrockett100: Thanks!_

 _3\. Guest 1: You're welcome! I'm sorry about the wait!_

 _4\. Guest 2: I know! I was really interested in the idea as well. In one of my other stories when it's just her going back in time, is interesting and fun, but I thought it would be so much moreso having all three of them. XD_

 _5\. Irene Sharda: I agree with you completely. There is a lot that they are all going to have to apologize for, and they are on the road to doing so, but there is still a lot of whip lash going on and hurt feelings that they aren't dedicating the time to it just yet. They will have their blow out, whatever that ends up being, and then hopefully be on the road to recovery. They are going to have to, at least, if they are going to survive this war and save everyone in the process. They are somewhat trying to mend things, slowly. But it's taking time. Thanks for the impute!_


	4. Growth

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry about the wait everyone! I have been so busy with work and preparing for the convention that I am currently resting from so I thought I would finally put this out. I love hearing from you guys, it really helps me push onward! Thank you all so much for your support! I'd love to hear what you have to say! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: OOCness, Unbeta'd, language.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Word Count: 5,666**

Anakin made sure that Padme was sitting next to the window so that he was blocking anyone from being able to reach her directly. They know that Padme's not in danger, especially with Anakin at her side, but that doesn't mean he's not protective. Padme looks up at him, smiling sweetly and reaching out to take his hand, interlacing her fingers with his own.

Anakin smiles thinly back at her. He pulls his fingers back, turning his palm up so that they can be palm to palm. Padme looks around for a moment, making sure that there wasn't anyone there who she would recognize, and lowers her head onto his shoulder and closes her eyes. She's tired, and knows that he is too. They have been through so much these last few days, and she knows that he's not going to be getting much sleep in the foreseeable future. She's worried. She knows he won't sleep here, in this public place, but she hopes that they will be able to get a ship from Naboo soon so that he can sleep on the way to Tatooine. It wouldn't be an overly long time, but at least he would be able to rest a bit before the madness of Geonosis.

"Get some sleep," Anakin says, kissing her forehead, seemingly enjoying the fact that neither of them care to hide themselves at the moment. No one knows who they are, and even if they did, the two don't really care. They almost lost one another. They are going to do everything they can in order to spend as much time together as possible. And they are going to make everyone moment count.

Padme snuggles against his warmth, closing her eyes. She knows that she is going to need to rest some before Anakin even considers some for himself. So long as they are surrounded by strangers, he won't sleep, but once it's just the two of them, he'll probably rest, so long as he knows that she'll be awake the entire time. She can feel Anakin relax a bit around her, seeming to soak the same comfort from her presence and closeness that she does from him. No matter what terrible thing transpired between them, Padme knows there is good in him. She can feel it. She won't give up on him so easily.

Padme's not sure if she's dreaming or not, but she can almost feel Anakin's lips on her forehead, beneath her headdress and a whispered apology against her skin and kissing her again. Whether she was dreaming it or not, she is too tired to tell, she snuggles closer to his warmth before everything goes black.

* * *

Padme and Anakin both bow low to Queen Neeyutnee as she walks down from her throne to them.

"Senator Amidala," the young queen says, not even being a teen yet, "please, raise your head. You as well, Master Jedi." Padme and Anakin both rise and Padme holds her hands out to Neeyutnee. The younger girl smiles, and takes them, looking a bit relieved to see the Senator. "When I heard of the threats on your life, Lady Padme, I was worried for your safety."

"My Queen," Padme says softly, "there is no need for you to be so formal with me, remember?"

The Queen blushes, sending a half glance over at Anakin, like he would judge her for her slip up. Anakin offers a thin smile but says nothing.

"Forgive me, Senator," Queen Neeyutnee says, squeezing Padme's hands before releasing them. "I suppose to me, you will always be our beloved Queen Amidala. I meant no disrespect."

Padme shakes her head. "No disrespect taken, my lady. I would like to thank you for being so understanding of our situation. Oh," she gestures toward Anakin, "this is Anakin Skywalker. He is my guard for the time being."

Neeyutnee turns toward Anakin and offers a kind smile. "Thank you in advance for your vigilance, Jedi Skywalker. Senator Amidala's life is very important to us. But, Padme," she looks over at the taller girl, "are you certain that you won't need any more protective detail? I trust in the Jedi's ability but this is your life on the line." Her eyebrows pull together tightly in worry, creating creases in the white make-up.

Padme smiles softly. "Anakin is one of the strongest people I know, close friend and ally and a most trusted confidant. I know that my life is safe in his hands. I do not need any other guards. Anakin is more than enough for me, so please do not worry about that."

Anakin bows his head a bit, but smiles bashfully. For so long, no one has ever really said anything complimentary about Anakin, to him, it's got to be uplifting to hear it, even if it is from someone like Padme, who has always been in his corner. Padme believes that Anakin does so much good but is usually never recognized for it. People will call what he does reckless but effective, but they don't just say that he did a good job. Not usually. Just Palpatine, probably. And Padme has heard Obi-Wan say it, but that is so few people. Anakin does so much good for such little recognition.

The Hero without fear. The people of the Republic called him that because of his heroics and the Clones under his command - and even those that aren't - aspire to be with him and serve with him. But his enemies and even the Jedi use the title as if it was something to be ashamed of. It's sad. She's sure the Jedi do not mean it that way, but it comes off that way and Anakin is sensitive to things like that.

It breaks Padme's heart. Hopefully this time around is going to be different. Padme is going to be better than she was before. She's going to make sure Anakin knows that he is appreciated and loved. He doesn't have to go to Palpatine. He doesn't have to fall to the darkside in order to be freed from his fears. They will be able to fight anything and everything that comes their way. They are so much stronger together. Them, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, even Duchess Satine. Together, the five of them as a unit, can do anything.

Padme firmly believes that. She's going to do whatever she can to keep Ahsoka with them, and stop the horrible series of events that lead to Satine's death. She's not sure how yet, but with Anakin and Obi-Wan at her side, she knows that they are going to be able to do it.

Neeyutnee looks over at Anakin. "I apologize. I meant no disrespect."

Anakin shakes his head, clearing his face smoothly. "There is no need to worry, my lady. I will protect Senator Amidala with my life. She will return safely to Coruscant by the end of this. I swear it."

The young queen nods. "Yes, I wish the best of luck to both of you. Please, be careful in your travels, Senator. As for the ship that you have requested, you are welcome to take it. Be safe and know that you have all of our thoughts with you."

Padme and Anakin bow low to her once more, both thanking her.

"Thank you, my lady," both of them say in unison.

Queen Neeyutnee nods and turns to head back to her office on the other side of the room. Anakin and Padme take that as a smooth dismissal, so they leave the room.

"Do you know where to go?" Padme asks, looking up at Anakin.

The Padawan stares down at her mistrusting. "Yes. Why? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to stock up on medical supplies," Padme says. "If we can save your mother, she is going to need skin ointments, bandages, antibiotics, things of the like. I'll need to get that here. Tatooine is a lawless wasteland, I doubt we will be able to get what we would require on trade alone. Medical supplies are expensive, yes?"

Anakin grins back at her, nodding. "It is a lawless wasteland, yes. Good thinking." His amusement, and his smile, fades and it's all business once more. "I will prepare the ship so that we can leave as soon as you get back."

Padme reaches out and touches his arm. Anakin looks down at her with large gray eyes, open and worried. "We are going to save her."

Anakin nods. "I know." He pulls away and makes his way down the hall. Padme watches him go until he rounds the corner and is gone from sight.

* * *

Padme fills up a backpack with medical supplies of all kinds. She's got a bit of medical training during her time as queen, and then again when she became Senator and she entered an entirely different and dangerous battle field. She's not sure what exactly she is going to need in order to help Shmi, so she grabbed a little bit of everything, hoping that she doesn't miss out on anything.

Padme also makes sure that grabs a few blasters, knowing that she is going to need them. One, that is already assembled, and another that is just a few small pieces that she can quickly put together. It doesn't really look like a blaster, and it's only good for a couple shots, but it's better than nothing. She knows she's going to need it in the arena and knows that the Geonosians weren't going to really check her for weapons like they did the first time. Or, at least, she's hoping so.

The young senator makes her way to the landing pad to see Anakin talking to one of the workers, making sure that everything is in order before they leave. He turns to look at her as soon as gets close.

"Ready?" He asks.

Padme nods, offering a smile toward the dock worker before looking back at Anakin. "I am. Are you?"

Anakin nods. "Yep. Everything is in order."

"Good," Padme says, neatly folding her hands in front of her. She walks up the end ramp and into the ship, setting down the backpack between the pilot and co-pilot seat and lowering down into the soft leather of her seat. She stretches her arms up above her head, letting her spine stretch as far as it can, listening to the pops roll up between the vertebrae before she relaxes again. Anakin comes in a few moments later, R2-D2 chirping happily next to him as he makes his way over to the pilot's seat.

Padme smiles. R2-D2 was a very good little friend to Anakin. After Padme and Anakin married, Anakin gave her C-3PO because where he was going, he wouldn't really need him other than a handful of times for translation in some of the more obscure languages of the galaxy, but he was built originally to help Shmi around the house, so it was only natural for Anakin to leave C-3PO with Padme. He would be doing what he was built to do in the first place.

So it was an equal trade. Padme gave him R2-D2 because he's an astromech droid that was condemned to her home because she stopped really leaving Coruscant other than her occasional times returning home. Just like with C-3PO it's only natural that R2-D2 went with Anakin. He was built for space and the type of missions that Anakin would be doing, he would need a loyal little buddy who would always have his back. Padme knew that their few interactions when Anakin was a little boy was enough to spark a fledging relationship.

When they met again, R2-D2 was ecstatic to see him again. Padme has no idea why, but knew that they became very good friends during their time together.

Anakin smiles down at the silver and blue astromech droid, reaching out and placing his hand on the top of it's shiny frame, finally acknowledging the bot. "Hey, buddy. Sorry I haven't said anything before."

R2 beeps happily, wiggling under his hand. Anakin runs his fingers over the smooth surface, his smile thinning out a bit. Staring into the shiny frame, Anakin is looking at something in his memories that Padme has to wonder about. His expression softens a bit, but doesn't alert her as to what it is that he's seeing. With the purple crests under his eyes, it makes Anakin look forlorn.

Padme is curious as to what he sees but doesn't want to pull him from his thoughts. She doesn't have to wait long for him to come back to her, though. He blinks a few times and pulls his hand away from R2's head and turns his char around toward the front.

"We have a long time until we get to Tatooine, R2, we'll scrape together some parts and give you an upgrade. How does that sound?" He punches in the coordinates to Tatooine before firing up the ship and lifting up off of Naboo's surface.

R2 rattles, pleased, chirping a few times, before turning around and heading to the back of the ship.

After they get far enough away from Naboo's atmosphere, Anakin fires up the hyperdrive and they jump into hyperspace.

"Anakin," Padme says, turning to look over at her husband.

"Yes?" Anakin rubs at his face roughly.

"Before you work on R2, maybe you should get some sleep. You must be exhausted."

Anakin looks over at Padme, blinking slowly. "Maybe, but I don't want to sleep yet."

Padme's eyebrows pull together. "Why?"

"I don't want to see her in my dreams," Anakin admits, rubbing at his forehead more. "It was horrible leading up to her death, and then afterword, knowing that I failed her. I just can't do it. Force visions can't be woken from. Not like dreams."

Padme stares at him, sympathetically, wishing that she knew the magic words that could be said in order to make him feel better. In order to lift his spirits and assuage him of his fears, but she didn't know them. She didn't know what to say. Padme looks out at the hyperspace lines, mentally debating on what to say before realizing the only thing that she can say.

Turning toward Anakin again, she wants to reach out to him but knows the distance that separates them would be too great for her arms and make her look silly, so she fights the urge. She knew what she had to say wouldn't be the magical thing that would somehow make everything great better. But she did know that there was something that she could say that would help him. It was something that she didn't say enough to him, even though a part of her knew that he needed it.

"I'm here with you," she says softly, staring into his eyes.

The corner of Anakin's lips pull down a bit in an attempt to not lose control of his expression. She can see the delicacy of his heart in his eyes. She was right on the money. He definitely needed to hear that. Maybe he didn't even realize how badly he needed to hear that. Padme isn't blind. She knows how delicate Anakin is and hates herself for not doing more the help him in his obvious need. But in his most delicate moments, Anakin shows this profound strength that exceeds anything Padme ever expected and sometimes forgets that he needs to be reassured too.

"I know," Anakin says, his voice strained.

"Try and sleep," Padme says. "I'll be right by your side the whole time."

Anakin's face looks pale and tired. He nods slowly, looking like he would rather not have to sleep just yet, but probably knew that he would have to get some sleep in order to be in tip-top shape when it comes time to deal with the rough Tatooine terrain. So, begrudgingly and tentatively, Anakin closes his eyes and lets out a long, deep sigh, sinking into his seat to try and find a bit of respite in his dreams.

* * *

Padme looks over her shoulder to see Anakin sitting in front of R2-D2, working diligently on the components inside. He slept soundly for a few hours but eventually his nightmares had him jolting awake and sweating profusely. Padme sat on the arm of the chair, leaning against him, running her fingers through his sweaty hair, kissing his forehead. She knew it was her fault that he saw that imagine again, but he had to sleep. Now he's feeling - hopefully - a bit better and ready to get his mind on other things.

Padme enjoys just sitting in her chair, watching as Anakin tinkers with R2. She's been watching him for a while now, as he brings R2 back up to his upgraded form that he had originally done for the faithful astromech droid. Normally, Padme would insist that he try and get a bit more sleep, but she still feels bad about already making him sleep when he didn't want to and see the imagine of his mother dying again, and she knows Anakin enough to know that when he's tinkering, it's a form of relaxation.

"Alright, buddy," Anakin says, closing the panel in front of him. "Do a systems check, make sure you have access to everything."

R2 rattles a bit, beeping happily before leaning back and doing as Anakin asked of him. After a few moments of silence, R2 beeps happily, rattling once more in affirmation that everything seems to be working fine.

Anakin grins at him, reaching up and patting his helm before pushing himself up onto his feet, reaching his long arms above his head and stretches as far as his body will allow, letting the cracks go from his elbows and shoulders, down his spine to his hips, knees and ankles, before relaxing once more. Anakin looks over at Padme and offers a thin smile.

"What?"

Padme blinks a few times, his voice pulling her from her mindless staring. "What, what?"

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Anakin asks, walking over to his seat and plopping down.

Padme turns her seat toward his, her feet running over the top of his before finding their own place on the floor between his own. She folds her hands neatly onto her lap. "I was just watching you. No particular reason. Why?" She smiles a bit. "Am I making your nervous?"

Anakin huffs, amused, a handsome smile crossing his face. He looks away, a blush coloring his cheeks. The look on his face, and the fact that he really is younger, brings Padme back in time to when they were on Naboo and he wasn't sure how to be romantic and take getting attention from the object of his affection in a very unprofessional manner.

As tense as the situation is, everything that settled over them based on what they did, what they lived through, and what is to come once more, Padme can't help but enjoy this time with Anakin. Their time together was always fleeting, always in secret, that being able to just laugh and joke with him and share small moments in public like holding hands on the transport off of Coruscant was a blessing. It doesn't undo all of the darkness that surrounds them, but it is helping - at least Padme - cope a bit with everything that is going on.

"Nervous?" Anakin mumbles, still smiling. "Me? No."

"I can't make you nervous?" Padme asks, amused.

Anakin grins a bit more. "Of course you can. I'm a wreck whenever it comes to you," he admits.

Padme's joking expression fades at that, realizing the implication of what he says. She closes her eyes for a moment. He always says things like that to implicate how serious the depths of his affections and his _need_ to be with her, but Padme used to think they were a way of sweeping her off her feet. Who wouldn't love the idea of her husband loving her so deeply he says he wouldn't be able to breath without her? Padme didn't take his works as seriously as she now knows she should have. Anakin wasn't lying, he wasn't saying it to romance the pants off of her. He was telling her the truth.

"I guess we are both each other Achilles heel," Padme says softly, leaning forward to take his right hand, cradling it gently between both of her hands.

Anakin's smile fades and is replaced with sadness. He squeezes her hands. "I know." With his free hand and rubs at his face, looking tired. "I can't believe it all turned out that way. I can't believe how wrong it all turned out." His shame hangs over him like a thick black cloud over his head. She can see in the steel blue of his eyes the horrors that reflect back. He's still seeing what he's done behind his eyelids. He's still hearing the words that led him to the dark side. In some instances, he's still living in that moment, trying to figure out how it got that bad.

Padme squeezes his hand between her own, rubbing the pads of her thumbs up and down the back of his hand. He blinks slowly, pulling his thoughts back to the present.

"I don't know how it became like that," Padme admits. "We all did things wrong. You, me, Obi-Wan. Even the Jedi and the Senate. So many things and people went wrong, or did the wrong things. There is no denying that. But we are going to do everything that we can to stop it from happening again. I don't know what the end of this road is going to be like, but we have to do our best to make it the best ending possible. Right?" She squeezes his hand tightly between her own. "For us?"

Anakin nods. "I just don't know where to start to make this better."

"Talking is a good place, I think," Padme says, offering a paper thin smile at his amused huff.

"That's always your go-to," Anakin says, looking up into her eyes with a thin smile of his own.

"You have to admit that I'm right most of the time," Padme says, trying to lighten up the mood a bit.

Anakin nods very slowly. "Yeah. You are, aren't you."

Actually, Padme believe she was wrong far more than she was right, and knew that Anakin was humoring her, because they wanted to go back to the way things used to be - when it was good - and this is their way of trying to get back to that place.

"Before you and Obi-Wan head to war," Padme says, the words taste bitter on her tongue. The last thing she wants is for them to go running off into the dangers they barely survived the first time around. Padme swallows her worry and continues, "we all need to sit down either with or without Master Yoda and hash it all out between us. I think that will lead us down the correct path. Whatever that may be. For us, those we love, and our family."

Anakin closes his eyes and leans back, twisting his body a bit so that he would still be able to hold onto Padme's hands. "Yes..."

* * *

Once they arrive on Tatooine, Anakin doesn't spare even a moment to speak to Watto about his mother. He already knows where she is. She's with the Sand People tribe that took her off of the Lars property.

"I think I can guess where they are," Anakin says as they head toward the Lars moisture farm.

"What are you saying?" Padme asks, tying her hair back into a tight bun on the back of her head to keep it out of her face. "Do you think we can just go and get her rather than stop and see your in-laws?"

"It's just a waste of time," Anakin says. "There is break down one person speeders in the floor boards of this ship. If we park it close by, it might be able to get us there, pick up my mom and back carrying the three of us." Anakin scratches the top of his head, mentally debating.

"But we still have to wait for nightfall, don't we?" Padme asks. "Not that I want her to endure any more torture than I'm sure she already has, but wouldn't it be easier, and safer, to wait for nightfall?"

Anakin rubs at his shoulders, looking like that was the last thing he wanted to do - wait - but seemed to see a bit of logic in her words.

"Plus, we would have to return her to the Lars farm to be able to properly care for her," Anakin says, eyes narrow. He looks down at his right hand for a moment, still not used to having it back, before he shakes the feeling away and focuses on driving. They head right for the Lars farm. They land just outside the farm land and exit the ship, heading for the house. Unlike before, C-3PO isn't outside inspecting one of the moisture vaporators, but he is ascending the stairs leading down to the garage.

He looks over at them and makes his way over, a bit of pep in his step that Padme has come to expect from the cyborg.

"Why, hello there! Welcome to the home of Cliegg Lars. I am C-"

"-3PO," Anakin cuts him off.

C-3PO tilts his upper body in confusion, stopping a few feet away Anakin and Padme. He looks between the two of them, pausing a moment of Padme's face, probably faintly recalling her face seeing as she hasn't really changed, then to Anakin who has changed much since he was last with the cyborg. He spares a moment to look between them one last time before his eyes settles on Anakin.

"Master _Ani?_ " C-3PO gasps in surprise. "Oh, my! It has been so long! Ten years, I think."

Anakin nods, impatiently. "I know, C-3PO. It has. Where is my mother?" The question comes out flat. He doesn't have time for this. He just wants to leave so that he can get his mother away from the Sand People. Padme can sympathize with his eagerness and worry. They are weeks ahead of when they showed up last time where she died two days after they showed up on Tatooine and Anakin found her. Hopefully this means the torture hasn't gotten so bad and her wounds haven't had enough time to fester in order for her to pass this time around.

C-3PO jerks back a bit, as if shocked. He looks around, suddenly apprehensious. "I... believe that you should come with me to speak to the Master of the house."

"Okay," Anakin says, waving his hand for C-3PO to lead the way.

C-3PO leads them down into the garage, stepping aside so that a man coming up the stairs could pass. It wasn't anyone that Padme recognize, but he did give them a once over, surprised to see strangers. He doesn't stop, though, he keeps going up the stairs. Anakin watches him mistrustfully, letting Padme go between himself and C-3PO.

Is it just her, or is he a lot more protective than he was before? Or, could it be that doing the parallels between the first time they were here and now, it just seems that way because of how much Anakin - and she - has changed after everything that they have gone through. Does it take going back to a moment they have already lived through for her to see just how different he is? Not that changing is wrong in any way. Padme, herself, knows that she has changed drastically since Anakin has come back into her life, so she would have no room to speak about someone else changing.

She doesn't think it's bad that Anakin has changed in the three years that separated their last moments in the life they lived and now. It's just interesting to get the perspective. She has to wonder if Anakin has noticed his own change let alone hers.

"Master Lars," C-3PO says, gesturing toward Padme and Anakin as soon as they reach the entrance to see a fully intact Cliegg Lars. This was before they went in search of Shmi and he lost his leg in the fight. "This is Master Anakin, Mistress Shmi's son."

Cliegg's face lights up in surprise, stepping closer and offering is hand for Anakin to shake. Politely, Anakin does, but doesn't go beyond the single shake of the hands before pulling his back.

"Shmi's boy," Cliegg says, surprised. "She told me that you became a Jedi."

"Where is she?" Anakin asks, blandly. Padme had to wonder what Anakin thought of Cliegg. He was mistrustful of the man the first time he met him too and she first wrote it off as him simply being uneasy about his mother's situation and just being cautious, but now she has to wonder if there is a hint of jealousy for the man who got to spend the last few years with Shmi that Anakin simply didn't get to. She wasn't sure.

Padme looks beyond Cliegg at the garage, half-listening to the older man about how Shmi was kidnapped off the property by Sand People while she was taking care of one of the moisture vaporators. He takes a moment to explain once more - at least in their case - to Anakin about how he bought Shmi because he loved her and took her as his wife, not because he wanted her as a slave. Just like the first time around, Anakin didn't seem like he completely believed that, but was willing to give them man the benefit of the doubt and not just skewer him alive without knowing for sure.

"We will go get her," Anakin says, turning away finally, not even bothering to acknowledge the older man's words about the marriage to his mother. Either Anakin wasn't willing to take Cliegg at his word and wanted to wait to speak to his mother to see her take on it, or he simply didn't care at the moment and his sole focus was going to get his mother, because he doesn't really let anything Cliegg said in regard to his relationship with Anakin's mother get to him.

"We were banning a group of men together - about thirty or so," Cliegg says, following after the taller, younger man as he heads back to the entrance of the garage, "and we were planning on leaving here in a few days to go looking for her. There are some of our best hunters out there tracking the tribe that took her."

"No need," Anakin says, heading up the stairs. Padme follows behind Cliegg all the way to the top. C-3PO follows behind her, making soft noises of worry and confusion.

"How will you know where they are?" Cliegg asks once they reach the top. "The desert is big out there and the Sand People know it better than we do. How do you expect to find her?"

It was a logical question. Anakin knew where they would be, weeks from now. But the Sand People tribes don't just stay in the same place for weeks and weeks on end. They are nomadic. They have to move and hunt to survive. They can't just settle in one place for long. Well, they can, but they prefer not too. It's rare for a tribe to form that is large enough to make a large enough camp that wasn't made up of tents and easily broken down bungalows.

Anakin stops for a moment, probably thinking the same thing that she is. He turns slowly to look back at the three that follow him and Padme realizes that he doesn't look like he's going to begrudgingly agree with him and shares her thoughts. In fact, he looks like he's concentrating on something. He's there with them, in the moment, but a part of him is somewhere far away.

"Don't worry about that..." Anakin says, blinking slowly. His eyebrows pull together tightly and he turns to look out over the flowing golden waves of sand as the two suns beat down on them, dipping toward the horizon at last. "I can sense her. I know where he is."

If they were truly not only in this moment, but without their mindset of three years in the future, Padme would be awfully skeptical of Anakin's ability to be able to sense his mother across the large expanse of the desert, but she knows Anakin. She knows that he is unbelievably powerful. He was adamantly sought after by a Sith Lord. She knew that he wasn't just grasping at straws.

Anakin was able to sense his mother. He was becoming more and more powerful.


	5. Claim

**Author's Note: I am so sorry about the wait, y'all! I do love hearing what you've got to say! It really helps me push onward! Also, I would like everyone's opinion on adding in legacy content. I've been thinking about it for a while and want to know what you guys think of it. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: OOCness, Unbeta'd, language.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Word Count: 5,409**

Padme rides behind Anakin on their shared speeder. They contemplated taking both, but Anakin didn't seem keen on Padme separating from him. The dunes of Tatooine were extremely dangerous. He didn't trust that she would be able to avoid... well, anything in the pitch dark Tatooine sand plains. Padme didn't trust herself either, so she's glad that he wasn't budging on that. She tried to be honorable about it, so that Shmi could be with Anakin, but she wasn't sure she would be able to keep up with his reckless driving. She's used to riding with Anakin, she's come to expect it to be a crazy ride, but she's never had to follow behind him, she's not sure she'd be able to keep up.

Not here, at least.

Padme adjusts her grip around his narrow waist, scooting a bit closer and pressing her face in between his shoulder blades to try and protect her face from the tossing sand and wind. She scoots as close as she can so that she's flush up against his back. Padme doesn't have to be Force Sensitive to sense Anakin's anxiety. Being pressed so closely to his back, she can feel the strain of his muscles along his back and his stomach. A part of it is to help keep them balanced, but she knows that it's more than that.

She squeezes him a bit, making his head tilt toward her a bit to be able to hear her without taking his eyes off the golden waves in front of them.

"We're going to make it in time," Padme says.

Anakin looks away, not that he doesn't believe, but he scared to hope. He doesn't want to lose her again. This was the very beginning of his downfall, killing those Raiders and losing his mother. It all proved too much. Well, not at the moment, but over time everything began to pile on until it became too much. It's not Anakin's fault, and Padme doesn't blame him. It doesn't mean that she's okay with the things he's done, she just doesn't think that he's solely to blame for everything that has happened.

But that is something that they are going to figure out more along the way. For now, they have to save Shmi and worry about everything else later.

"What's the plan?" Padme asks, relaxing her hold a little bit, her muscles hurting from the strain of tensing her muscles. She rolls her shoulders back a little without pulling away. Not while Anakin is recklessly driving. She wants to live.

"There was a heard of bantha that they had in their care," Anakin says, "I'm going to use them as a distraction and get my mother out of there."

"How are you going to do that?" Padme asks, leaning up toward his ear so that they can hear each other better. She was a fan of the idea, the less direct contact between them and Anakin, the better.

Anakin looks over his shoulder at her, offering a coy smile as if the answer was so simple. "With the Force, of course." Well, Padme could have guessed that. Usually Anakin's plans are bigger, more extravagant and filled with a lot of danger and risk. She can appreciate how simple it is. A part of her is a bit worried about how simple it is, that maybe he has something bigger up his sleeve, but so long as the direct contact between Anakin and the Tusken Raiders is kept to a minimum, she can live with it.

"I'll watch our backs," Padme says, seeing Anakin look over his shoulder at her. "You get your mother, okay?"

Anakin looks like he wants to protest, but the faint smile she sends his way is enough to settle his complaint. "Okay, fine." Anakin's sole focus should be his mother, not the Raiders. Padme can take care of them if she needs to. He needs to make sure that Shmi's alright.

"Anakin," Padme says. She can feel the tenseness in his back and shoulders. Even his abs are taut, but part of that is to help keep them balanced, but his back and shoulders are definitely rigid.

He looks forward again for a moment before looking over at her. "Padme?"

"I love you and I'm here."

Anakin closes his eyes for a moment, like the pressure baring down on him has lessened a bit, which is a relief. He nods, opening his eyes once more to keep an eye on the dunes whizzing past them at the insane speeds he's driving at. "Thank you, Padme."

* * *

It's dark out by the time that they find the Tusken Raider camp. Anakin was sure to park a ways away from the camp as to not alert the Raiders that they are there. They want the element of surprise on their side. They are going to keep it for as long as they can. There is a high sand pile that Anakin and Padme are using it as vantage point to be able to get a layout of the Tusken Raider camp. They both stare in silence for a few minutes, so Anakin's impressive brain works through everything - coming up with a plan.

"I've got to get down to those bantha," Anakin says, nodding down toward the large sand dwelling creatures before standing.

"What are you going to get them to do?" Padme asks, standing slowly after him.

"A mini stampede," he says. "They won't move fast enough to hurt anyone, but they will be agitated enough to draw the warriors attention. My mom is in that tent there," he points at one of the clusters of tents - Padme isn't sure which one but figured he knew which one so she let it be - before sliding down the sand pile toward the bantha. Padme follows, nearly running into the back of him when they reach the bottom.

"Sorry," Padme mumbles, embarrassed, steading herself.

Anakin helps her keep her footing before nodding toward the collection of tents. "Wait for me over there, in the darkness. I'm going to rile up the bantha and meet you over there."

Padme nods, grabbing out her blaster and, while keeping to the shadows, makes her way over to the tents to hide and wait as Anakin heads over to the banthas pens. They groan at him as he gets near but are otherwise docile creatures and don't react. He stops in front of the largest one, reaching out and placing his hand on it's forehead, staring into it's large, dark brown eyes.

Padme watches in muted awe, as she usually does when Anakin uses the Force, as he begins to back away from the bantha, as they grow more and more agitated, yowling and snarling. He uses the Force to open the pen and sprints over to her as the largest of the bantha roars angrily and starts stomping through the camp, heading toward the opposite side. All of the other bantha follow suite, feeding off of the largest one's anger.

"Come on," Anakin says, grabbing onto her hand and leading her through the tents, stopping in shadows so that the Tusken Raiders now yowling and calling out in surprise, don't catch them. Padme presses close to him, keeping her breathing slow and even, to not draw attention to them.

Two Raiders rush past, swinging their gaffi sticks around as they run toward the raging banthas. Anakin waits until the area is clear before pulling Padme along quickly toward the tent that held his mother inside. There is a light inside, casting the shadow of something against the sides. It's too obscured for Padme to be able to tell what it was, but it seemed to urge Anakin on.

Padme and Anakin stop outside of the tent, Anakin finally releasing her hand to grab his lightsaber to his side. Padme turns her back to him, scanning the darkness with her blaster held up, poised and ready to fire should any Tusken Raiders round the corner and run at them. Padme is so happy that Anakin is there with her. With it being as dark as it was, and all the noise that the bantha and Raiders were making, Padme's not all that sure she would be able to accomplish this rescue mission without getting completely lost in the process.

Padme shifts slightly, hearing Anakin ignite his lightsaber and then the sound of it cutting through something. Padme half glances over her shoulder to see Anakin using his lightsaber slicing through the side of the tent, cutting a hole in the side big enough for him to climb through.

"I'll keep watch," Padme says when Anakin glances over his shoulder at her, sending his lightsaber away. "Go get your mother, I've got our backs."

Anakin nods, turning away and stepping inside of the tent. Padme strains her ears, making sure she doesn't hear any sounds of distress or fighting coming from inside the tent. She doesn't hear anything other than the yowling of the Raiders, trying to sooth the agitated banthas. They are starting to calm down, which means that their time is running thin.

Padme hears something ruffle behind her. She looks over her shoulder to see Anakin stepping out of the hole in the tent, holding the thin hand of none other than Shmi Skywalker. She's in a bad way. Her hair is messed up, her clothes are ripped, soiled and bloodied, she's stumbling and holding tightly onto Anakin in order to keep herself upright, but she does appear coherent.

Shmi's blue eyes rise toward Padme, first alarmed at the dark shadow standing in front of them, her body going rigid, before her eyes adapt to the darkness and sees a familiar face. But Padme's name eludes her, and that's fine. She does recognize Padme, though, the recognition flickers across her face as she finally moves again, clinging to Anakin for strength.

"Let's go," Padme says, offering a thin smile. It's hard to see Shmi like this. Being raised a slave made the dark haired woman strong. Strong shoulders and hands, weathered features and skin. She was anything but the delicate, battered woman she was at that moment. It was hard to look at her. Padme felt shame for not having come sooner.

"Thank you," Shmi says softly, her voice thin and weak. Carefully, with Anakin holding Shmi, leads the way back to their speeder while Padme holds up the rear, keeping an eye open for any of the Raiders. It's since gotten quiet as the bantha have finally settled down. Whatever Anakin did to them seems to have been soothed over by the Raiders and now they are returning to their daily activities. It won't be long before they realize that their prisoner is missing. They are definitely running out of time.

Anakin seems to have agreed for he picks up speed, practically pulling his mother along. His arm is wrapped around her back, being careful of the blood stains from her beatings there. She's weak and moving slowly, but tries hard to keep up even though Anakin is trying to be gentle while pulling her along. Climbing over the dunes to get to their speeder was by far the hardest part of their journey. Both Padme and Shmi lacked the balance to climb the dune to fully escape the camp - while Shmi also lacked the physical strength due to her injuries - so Padme stays behind so that Anakin can help Shmi up the large dune while Padme waits, keeping an eye out.

Once Shmi is safely on the other side, and sitting so that she can rest with Anakin's poncho over her to help protect her exposed wounds on her back, before he returns to Padme, thankfully able to be a bit more rough with her, practically plucking her up off the ground and leaping up into the air and over the large, dark dune to Shmi.

Padme straps her blaster onto her leg and reaches out for Shmi, wrapping the older woman's arm over her shoulders and helping her up. Anakin leads the way, making sure they make it back to the speeder safely. Anakin hops on first, Shmi is next and Padme climbs onto the very back, barely hanging on. She reaches past Shmi, using her arms to help block the older woman in, and grabs onto Anakin's waist. Anakin grabs onto her left hand with his own, driving with only his right hand, at a more moderate speed to make sure he doesn't bank too sharply and throw Padme into a nearby Sharlack pit.

* * *

They reach the Lars house in time for the rise of the first sun peaking over the horizon. Padme's arms, shoulders, stomach and back are absolutely killing her because of the way she was sitting, basically hanging onto Anakin at arms length making sure not to press against Shmi's back and irritate her injuries further. Shmi leans tightly against Anakin, her arms wrapped iron clad around his waist with her cheek pressed against the center of his back and her eyes squeezed closed.

If her eyebrows didn't pull together every time Anakin had to veer sharply in order to avoid things in the desert, Padme's almost certain she would have believed that the older woman would have fallen asleep.

Cliegg Lars throws the door open the moment Padme practically fell off the back of the speeder, dropping onto her hunches, curling her arms aginst his chest and closing her eyes against the burning pain. Lars goes to Shmi, grabbing her arms, gasping in wonder and relief, leading her inside tenderly, calling out to Owen and Beru to come help him.

"Padme?" Anakin reaches down, placing his hands on her back. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I'm okay," Padme shakes her head. "I was just in that position for too long. I'm fine. Let's go see your mother." She looks up at him, offering a thin smile and welcoming him helping her to her feet. "Oh," Padme says, before he can lead her inside.

"What?" Anakin looks down at her.

"The medicine, I left it on the ship. Go to your mother, I have to grab it," Padme says, pulling away and jogging toward the ship, climbing the ramp and heading toward the cockpit. She reaches under the counsel and grabs her backpack, ignoring the soreness and pain in her shoulders and back before patting R2-D2 on the helm. "Wait here, R2."

R2-D2 beeps lowly, seemingly cautious.

"It'll be alright. Just wait here," Padme says, carefully walking down the ramp, the sands of Tatooine making it's claim on the ramp, covering it up and making it hard to walk up and down safely. As soon as she makes it safely to the bottom, she sees Anakin waiting in the doorway of the house, waiting for her. His steel blue eyes staring past her off at the sandy dunes as the first sun fully reveals itself over the horizon, looking beyond anything that she could see. Probably through the Force. nothing that Padme would really be able to understand, though.

Padme makes his way over to him in time for him to come back, looking down at her.

"What do you see?" Padme asks softly, dark eyes wide as she stares up at him.

Anakin shakes his head. "I don't know. I think the Tusken Raiders are out there looking for my mother. They know something happened. They might be back."

"Don't think like that," Padme says, feeling an edge of worry creeping across her mind. If those Raiders come back, ready to fight and kill, Anakin won't hesitate for a moment. He'll kill them all. He would have to in order to protect them, and Padme wouldn't blame him. But the entire purpose of this was to not let him kill the Tusken Raiders, to not give into his anger.

"But what do we do if they come back?" Anakin asks, eyebrows pulling together tightly, a dark look settling over his face. "I'm not going to let them hurt you or my mother. It's not going to happen."

Padme grabs his hand, watching the dark look dissipate from his face. "I know, Ani, I do. But don't worry about that now. We can cross that road when we get to it."

Anakin nods slowly, not appearing convinced. "Right," he murmurs, turning his eyes toward the golden dunes once more, mistrustfully. He gestures for her to get into the house first and follows after, closing the door behind himself.

* * *

Thankfully, Padme's medical foresight paid off. She brought ointments, pain relievers and anti-biotic medicines for Shmi that looks like they will go to good use for the older woman. Padme is also thankful for all of the bandages and sanitary wipes she thought to bring along. Every little bit was going to help. She mentally thanked every single incident and class that she took that helped grow her medical knowledge for this moment.

Surprisingly, Anakin was able to keep a level head through all of this. He stood back, out of the way, unless they needed him to do something. They, being Padme and Beru, the only two that really had some idea of what they were doing. Well, Padme figured, and Beru had a minor bit of knowledge due to helping Owen and Cliegg deal with their injuries while working on the moisture farm. In a situation like this, the boys were their cheerleaders, sitting on the sidelines watching wide eyed and anxious for them to succeed.

Shmi was doing great. She was obeying all the little orders "hold your arms up" or "drink this" without any complaint. They managed to get her a glass of ice cold water that she gulped down greedily and a bowl of soup that she took a few bites of and some crackers to hold her over and give her a bit of strength. She was coherent, and smiling at everyone, but she was obviously out of it.

It's obvious that what little strength she had was quickly waning the more they worked on her. Anakin sat in front of her, holding her wrapped up hands tightly with his forehead pressed against her own, whispering to her about something that Padme can't hear, but Shmi keeps smiling dreamily, letting out a little laugh every couple of minutes.

"Ani..." Shmi whispers, pressing her forehead closer, looking like she wanted to cry but didn't have enough water in her body to do it. "My baby. My Ani..."

"I'm here, mom," Anakin says, louder. "I'm here."

It was well into the afternoon when Shmi's back, arms and legs were all lathered up with healing ointment and wrapped up in crisp white medical tape and pumped full of pain relievers and anti-biotics. They moved Shmi from the living room into the bedroom she shares with Cliegg before they leave her to rest. Anakin didn't leave her, though. He followed her in there and sat by her bedside, holding her hand and watching her sleep, keeping vigilant for any signs that something was going to go wrong with her.

She's cleaning up the blood and bandages and towels when Cliegg, who left his bedroom door open slightly so that if Anakin needed anything, he would easily be able to call out to them, before walking over to Padme, who was tossing the last of their mess into the trash can that Owen was providing.

"How did you find her?" Cliegg asks, dropping down onto the couch.

Padme checks under her nails to make sure that she's cleaned her hands well enough, before looking up at Cliegg from where she's sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. "Anakin found her. He used the Force to find her."

"So," Owen says, "that's him? That's mom's son?"

Padme hesitates. She doesn't recall speaking to Owen much the first time around, but while he never referred to her as Shmi, Padme doesn't remember ever hearing him call her mom. Anakin is definitely not going to be a fan of that. Padme can understand, though. If Shmi has been looking after Owen since he was a young child - seeing as he's got to be around Anakin's age - then she can understand why he would see her that way. She very well could have been the only mother he's ever known.

She just can already tell Anakin isn't going to like that. Hopefully he'll try to be understanding too. Hopefully.

"Anakin Skywalker," Padme says. "Yes, that's him."

"He's a Jedi?" Beru asks softly, dark eyes wide.

Padme nods. "He is. He is still a Padawan now, but he's not going to be for long. He'll be a Knight soon enough."

All three of them appear in awe over that. They don't appear to understand what the promotion to Knight means, other than that it is something to be impressed with - which is fine. At one point, not too long ago and yet forever ago, Anakin would be so proud to get the promotion to Knighthood, but somehow, she's not sure that's going to be the case anymore. Anakin has been avoiding anything Jedi like the plague since their strange return to just before the start of the Clone Wars, and she can't exactly blame him.

What Anakin did was terrible, and she's upset by the entire thing, but the Jedi honestly failed him. The more she thinks about it, the more she can't just blame Anakin or Obi-Wan or herself. There was a lot of people involved in Anakin's betrayal and she's starting to wonder if a lot of it had to do with the Jedi's view on everything and how skewed it is from Anakin's actual view.

Obi-Wan's view of how everything should work fits neatly into how she knows the Jedi view it. There are slight differences, but for the most part, Obi-Wan plays the part well. He knows what is expected and agrees with it, mostly. When he doesn't though... Padme's not really sure. She's seen it before, when the Order does something that he is so against. She doesn't remember exactly what it was, but just that he grew quiet afterward, and not contemplatively. It was more like a pained silence. He knew not to say anything or outwardly object, but it was like their actions brought him physical pain.

There was a lot of elements that lead to a lot of the things that happened at the end, but it is a lot more to ponder than she has the brain power to process it at the moment. Perhaps later when she hasn't been up for two days straight and still aching - which is only going to be more painful tomorrow - from their ride back to the Lars house.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce my son and his girlfriend. This is Owen and Beru," Cliegg says, gesturing to the two of them.

Oh, right. Padme already knew that, though. "It is nice to meet you all," Padme says, offering them a tired smile. "I am Padme Amidala, Anakin and I are... close friends." She wasn't sure what to call their relationship to his family - whether he wants to see them as family or not. She didn't want to out him to his family before they really spoke about what they wanted to say. Padme's almost certain that Anakin didn't care what these people thought about him, but he would probably want to be the one to tell his mother, so she's going to let him be the one to say something.

They'll talk later.

"I can't believe that you found her," Owen says, shaking his head before running his hand through his hair. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that she's back and she's safe, I just... can't believe it."

Feeling like she had to explain, Beru says, softly, "Most that are taken away by the Tusken Raiders are never heard from again. If anything, only their bodies are found. We were so scared..."

Beru must have noticed that Padme wasn't native to Tatooine, with her soft and blemish free hands and skin, and her dainty appearance. She hasn't lived the sort of hard life that comes with ling on a Hut controlled world. Padme knew she wasn't really blending in well, but she wasn't afraid of these people. She didn't think that she would have to worry about the Lars family. They seemed like a wonderful, kind group of people - a rarity in this hell hole, she's sure - and would like to think of them in the best light.

They love Shmi, they care about her. They are genuinely happy that she's back and safe. They will continue to protect her and feel her happiness as if it's their own. Padme believes that. She believes that even in a terrible place in the galaxy like Tatooine, there is people like Shmi Skywalker and the Lars family that are good, descent people.

She's not sure how Anakin is going to deal with all of this, but she chooses to believe that there is a lot of good that is going to come out of all of this.

"I'm glad that she's back," Padme says, pushing loose strands of long brown hair behind her ear. "She's a very nice lady who helped me out a few years ago, when she didn't have to. I'm hoping that she is going to make a full recovery and that everything is going to be okay."

Beru smiles faintly at that, seeming to agree, while Owen nods and Cliegg says, "She is a wonderful woman. She deserves only the very best. I was terrified when I lost her. I thought that was the end..." He runs his hands over his face, looking worn and physically exhausted. "I just can't believe that you two managed to save her. It's... it's a real relief." He leans back against the couch, letting out a long, drawn out sigh, like a thousand pounds have been lifted from his shoulders. Beru and Owen both share a look before Beru pushes herself up.

"I'm going to go to the refresher," she says, looking down at her dirty person.

"Okay," Owen says, nodding at her. She pats his shoulder before offering a little smile down toward Cliegg, her eyes conveying the happiness that she didn't seem to have the strength to say aloud.

With that, she heads down the hall and disappears into a room, leaving Padme alone with Owen and Cliegg. She rolls her shoulders, starting to really feel the stiffness there. Yep, this is going to hurt tomorrow. But, if Shmi survives this, which it seems like she might - if she's a tenth as strong as Anakin - then all of the aches and pains will have been worth it.

* * *

"I'm sending you our location now," Padme says, sitting on her ship, looking down at the little blue hologram of Obi-Wan. She types across the counsel, doing as she said before leaning back in her chair.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan says easily. Then, he hesitates for a moment, asking, "How is he? Her? Them?"

Padme smiles. "Good. We brought her back our first day here, so six days ago. Got her patched up and some food and water in her, and we've been taking it slow ever since. She's getting stronger, even now, she was up and about yesterday, tired of being bedridden, and she seems fine. She still needs medicine and she doesn't sleep well at night, but she's doing good." From what she's seen, she's been giving them some space. She knows how important this is to Anakin. He just needs to spend some time with her and settle down.

"That's good. Really good. I'm glad to hear that she is alright." Obi-Wan strokes his beard in quiet contemplation for a moment before asking, quietly, "And Anakin? How is he?"

Padme offers him a thin smile, understanding his concern. "You could ask him yourself. I could go get him for you." She tilts her head to the side a bit.

Obi-Wan shakes his head, still being stubborn - both of them. Anakin knew Obi-Wan called and chose not to come with. She hopes that, by Obi-Wan asking about him, it's not to check up on him, but because he is genuinely worried about his one-time friend and ally. That maybe there is still some hope for them being on even, good terms again.

"No, it's fine. I'm sure he wants to spend as much time with his mother as time permits, I don't want to take that away from him." That was such an Obi-Wan answer that made Padme smile more firmly. Stubborn as he is, he still cares. He's still Obi-Wan.

Padme nods slowly. "Anakin is good," she says. "He hasn't left his mother's side since we got her back. He's got an entire new family here. A step father and brother and a sister-in-law to be. It's a lot to adjust to. He's worried about her being forced into this life, so he's been watching them like hawks."

"And?" Obi-Wan says, crossing his arms over his chest. "How are they?"

"Good," Padme says. "They are very kind and seem to genuinely love her a lot. They've been taking good care of her, I think. She is their family now. Anakin and them are all learning how to adapt to one another. Shmi told them about Anakin, but her knowledge was that of a nine-year-old boy. He's changed a lot."

Obi-Wan nods, reaching out and typing something into his counsel. "Yeah, that I know well." His voice is even, non-assuming. It seems like this whole angry act between them is really starting to wear him down. Padme feels bad for him - both of them - but if they refuse to talk it out, maybe they'll just get tired with the silent treatment and all of this will blow over.

Or maybe that's wishful thinking.

"I should be there in a few hours," Obi-wan says, looking at something off screen. "The three of us are going to need to decide what we are going to do about Geonosis. I already told the Council about Kamino. We can't just let all of the senseless death that occurs on Geonosis let stand. If we can stop just one death..." Obi-Wan looks away, as if ashamed by his desire for those Jedi that died to live. Maybe it's because he still sort of feels like the last Jedi in the galaxy because of the slaughter.

"I agree whole heartedly," Padme says, pulling Obi-Wan's eyes up to her own. "When you get here, we are going to talk about how to move forward."

"Good," Obi-Wan says, sounding relieved that Padme was on his side. "I will be there in a few hours."

 _For the Reviewers:_

 _1\. KingJonSnow: Yeah. :D_

 _2\. ILDV: Thank you!_

 _3\. TheRealAlgeri: I happen to fully agree with you. The thing is, right now, things are coming in waves. They are trying to plan ahead but they don't really have the time or the cohesive thought to be able to do what they would want._

 _4\. SilentSambo88: Yeah, Padme had to be with him. He couldn't be trusted to go about it on his own. She helps him remain focused and sees the positives. I had been thinking about that as well, Padme could very well get the Lars family off of Tatooine if she wanted to. She could help them move anywhere in the galaxy. The only questions are, should she? And would they go if she offered? This is the Lars livelihood and it's probably all they know. Would they be willing to give it all up for a fresh start with different kinds of hardships?_

 _5\. AzureTemplar3535: Thank you! And it's like you can read my mind. Obi-Wan is going to reveal that a lot of things still stick with him, things that he wished he could change and there is going to be a very common theme for most of them. I like Obi-Wan because he's a genuinely kind person. It may not seem like it in this story because of the friction between him and Anakin, but he really is. He's hurt and worried but mostly he cares. He cares about people, about the Order, and about Anakin. His best friend's betrayal did a lot to him._

 _6\. Guest 1: Thank you for your dedication to my other stories, and know that they will be completed, but I would prefer to know what you think of this story - seeing as it's the one you commented on. XD_

 _7\. Guest 2: I understand and will continue to update all of my stories in due time, but would like to hear your opinion on this one._

 _8\. maracolins: Thank you so much!_

 _9\. Alpha Dark-Gary Wolf: Thank you so much!_

 _10\. LoveLifeForever: I was thinking the exact same thing!_

 _11\. Emperor Andeoss: I understand what you are saying and can appreciate it. I do agree that there are parts of this story that really need to be worked on - and it's something I plan to do in the future - so thank you for the imput. I'm glad that you decided to push onward regardless and find it enjoyable enough to continue. As for the Clone Wars aspect, yes. It will go into the Clone Wars._


	6. Layout

**Author's Note: I am so sorry about the wait! I have been working on so many stories, dealing with work and family and friends, that I haven't been able to focus solely on this one. I do love hearing everything that y'all have to say! It really helps spur me on! Please let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: OOCness, Unbeta'd, language.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Word Count: 4,498**

Padme watches as Anakin finally excuses himself from his mother's side. She smiles lovingly up at him, reaching out to caress his cheek before turning her attention to Owen, and whatever it was he was talking about. Probably about the moisture vaporator that stopped working earlier that morning. Anakin is probably going to start tinkering with that, when he has the chance.

Typical Anakin.

He doesn't look ready to leave her side, but they have to talk. Obi-Wan is landing his ship right next to theirs before he jumps out of the cockpit. He lands, kicking up a plum of sand around his feet, before looking over at the red droid still in the ship's droid port.

"Stay put, R4," Obi-Wan says, waiting only for the red and silver droid to chirp in affirmation before walking over to Padme. "Alright," he looks between Padme and Anakin, "let us talk, shall we?"

Anakin's hands disappear into his cloak sleeves, nodding toward the house. "Let's go to the garage and talk there. It's at least a bit more private." Without any desire to complain, both Padme and Obi-Wan follow Anakin down the stairs to the garage. If Padme thought that they wouldn't be able to hear her, she would have thrown her hands up in the air and let out a long, drawn out groan. They need to work this out, somehow. They have to. At least they are trying to be cordial with one another, but still. This half silent treatment isn't going to work forever.

Padme's just worried that it's going to break out into yelling and screaming and even a lightsaber battle. Padme can step in between a yelling match, but there is nothing she can do if they actually start fighting one another. Maybe set her blaster to stun and knock both of them out. She'll have to just keep a close eye on them and hope for the best.

Once they get to the garage Padme turns to the two men, seeing both of their minds working already without her having to ask the silly question, but she does anyway, hoping it will prompt a conversation, "What are we going to do now?"

"We are not going to get caught by the Geonosions, that's the start," Anakin grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

Obi-Wan looks like he is willing to agree, but hesitates. "But what about Count Dooku?"

Anakin looks over at him, expression blank. "What? You want to keep him alive? We can just go and stop him."

Obi-Wan sighs. "Without prompt? Anakin, how are we to know that he is there without being caught by him first?"

Anakin opens his mouth, hesitates, then closes it, eyebrows pulling together. "Right." His eyes flicker back and forth for a moment before he looks at Obi-Wan again. "You're going to have to be caught again, aren't you?"

Obi-Wan doesn't look happy about the prospect anymore than Anakin does. "I think so. But we can't be foolish about this. So many Jedi died trying to save us. There has to be something that we can do to cut down on our losses, if we can't prevent them altogether."

"Sure," Anakin says, not a hint of emotion on his face to alert how he's feeling about this, "but what? It's not like they are going to let us bring our lightsabers into the arena match..." He trails off, blinking a few times. His steel blue eyes flicker back and forth, as if going through the scenario in his head to see if his outright assumption is going to be correct.

"What?" Padme asks, tilting her head to the side, watching as Anakin's eyes flicker back and forth, lost in his thoughts. "Ani?"

Anakin's eyebrows pull together as he looks up at Obi-Wan. "Do you have enough parts to make another lightsaber?"

Obi-Wan's eyebrows raise toward his hairline. "I believe so. Nothing fancy, though." His eyes narrow a bit. "Why? What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking, we need to get our lightsabers into the arena," Anakin says, crossing his arms over his chest, a crease forming between knitted eyebrows.

"And how are you going to do that?" Padme asks. "I brought a collapsible Noobian blaster that can be broken down, but that's easy assembly. Are you going to rebuild your lightsabers, right there?"

Anakin shakes his head. "No, we're going to have someone bring us our lightsabers while we are in the arena."

"How is that going to be any different than when the other Jedi show up to give you lightsabers?" Padme asks, not sure that she understands where he's going with this.

"Because," Anakin says, looking down at her, "we are going to get them sooner. Almost immediately after we are chained up. That's the difference."

Padme stares, still trying to see how this would all work out. Naturally, she can understand that a lot of time would be killed by them having their lightsabers sooner, but she can't think of where this is all going. How are they going to get their lightsabers sooner? She already planned on brining her collapsible blaster and place it around on her person. The Geonosians didn't really check her for weapons but Jango Fett gave Anakin a major pat down to insure that his broken lightsaber was the only one he had on his person.

"How?" Padme asks.

Anakin smiles thinly, looking beyond her. "I have to make some modifications to him so that they'll fit."

Padme looks over her shoulder to see R2-D2 making his way over to them. He stops when all three of the humans turn their attention, beeping quizzically.

"Oh," Obi-Wan says. "That actually might work."

"It's only once we get our sabers that is going to be the tricky part. What to do next," Anakin says. Anakin narrows his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest, staring down at the ground in front of him.

Obi-Wan nods slowly, stroking his beard in thought for a moment, long dark lashes lowering to his cheekbones. He hums for a second before looking up t Anakin and Padme. "I think I've got an idea."

* * *

Padme feels kind of useless. She knows a bit about machines - before she married Anakin, but picked up about a hundred more useful pits of information once she did - but not enough to be able to help them now. Obi-Wan was crafting two new lightsabers for them to use, not nearly as well put together or high tech as their own, because they don't plan on keeping them for long, while Anakin is reorganizing the inside of R2-D2 to be able to carry both of their sabers into the arena for them.

She kept checking in on both of them in the Lars Garage but they were hard at work, barely speaking to one another other than a question here or there, or a request to pass something that the other needs. She would bring down drinks and their dinner when night came and neither came up to eat. Other than that, she's left them to their own devices, knowing that Obi-Wan was going to have to leave as late as the first set the next day in order to make it to Geonosis on time.

On time. How odd.

Padme spent all day helping Shmi and Beru around the house, doing everything she can to busy herself and be of some help. Shmi has insisted on continuing her daily work, not wanting to put her life on hold any longer, just wanting to forget about the terrible thing that happened to her. But she appeared to appreciate not being alone, especially when out looking over the moisture vaporators. Any noise off in the distance would cause her to tense up and looking around with large, wild eyes. Looking for Sand People.

Padme felt horrible.

They spoke often, Padme and Shmi, about all sorts of things. About what Padme did now - she's a senator and told the older woman such - about what the Republic was like. How Anakin was doing. Who Obi-Wan was. About what was going on with the Huts. About the latest news going on at the ports. Anything and everything that they could talk about to occupy the time.

It was late into the night when both men trudged back up into the house, opting to sleep out in the living room, Obi-Wan on the couch and Anakin in a chair in the corner of the room. Padme's borrowed room - the Lars guest room - was the closest to the living room, and she woke up when they came in, talking about going over the plan again in the morning with her before the room fell silent.

Padme wanted to go out there and speak to them, see what they were discussing - probably about their stint on Geonosis - but decided that they had a really long day that bled into the night. She'll let them sleep. She curls up on the small twin sized bed, trying once again to sleep without Anakin there by her side. Ever since they came to Tatooine, Padme hasn't been able to share her bed with her husband. Part of it is because he's been looking after his mother, another part has been because the bed is too small for two people, but the last being that they haven't told Shmi about them being together.

There was just... never a good time.

Padme wanted to tell her - she was Anakin's mother! - but she didn't want to go behind his back and Anakin has been more focused on her health than sharing his life with her.

And a part of that might have to do with his shame stemming from some of the choices that he's made in his life that followed her death.

Somehow, after tossing and turning for a while, Padme manages to fall back to sleep.

* * *

"So, do we all understand the plan?" Obi-Wan asks, looking between Anakin and Padme.

Padme nods. Seemed easy enough. It wasn't a full proof, in-depth plan, but it was enough of a layout for them to follow and hopefully be able to avoid as much death as possible and maybe even stopping Dooku early on. He may not be the Sith Lord - that is Palpatine - but he still causes them a lot of problems. He may not be the ultimate threat, but he was still a very powerful enemy and a dangerous man to have leading the battlefront.

"Yeah," Anakin, eyebrows pulled together tightly, still worried. "I just keep thinking about Dooku. While he is a very dangerous threat, I'm not sure that it's wise to stop him just yet. Without him there to reign in Grievous, he's going to be an even greater threat."

"That would also mean that Ventress is next in line, right?" Padme asks, eyebrows raised.

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan admits, stroking his beard. "And considering Palpatine's sudden turn on Ventress during the war, the chances of him accepting her as his second for very long, but who knows what he's thinking. His ultimate goal is Anakin. This is all just some sort of training exercise for him, or whatever. But I do agree with you, Anakin. Maybe we will have to hold off on stopping Dooku, at least for now."

Both men look troubled.

"We have to stop Grievous first," Anakin says.

"Agreed."

Like them, Padme is not happy about this at all. Dooku is bad, really bad, but Grievous is worse. He's been reigned in by Dooku, controlled in such a way that nothing too needless happens. In order to keep Grievous under somewhat control, they have to let Dooku live. Without the old, ex-Jedi to keep him under control, Padme fears the devastation that would ensue in his absence. She's not sure Ventress would be able to control him like Dooku does, and while Ventress becomes a tentative ally later on during the war, she isn't now.

"Please be safe, Obi-Wan," Padme says, reaching up and tucking a strand of long brown hair behind her ear. "We'll be out there in a few days. Stay strong."

"I will," Obi-Wan says, looking down into her eyes. "Thanks." He climbs up into the cockpit of his ship, standing on the seat for a moment before looking down at them, his eyes slide over to Anakin. "I spoke with your mother, while you were fixing the moisture vaporater."

Anakin's eyebrows raise at that. "Oh?"

"Yes, she's a very nice lady," Obi-Wan says simply. "She thanked me for looking after you. For helping you grow up into the wonderful young man that she always knew you would be. I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth."

"What truth?" Anakin asks, eyebrows falling flat. "You did raise me. You did look after me. And every ounce of good in me is because of you."

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "We all know that isn't true. I was in no position to raise you. I wasn't ready to train a Padawan - especially one as special as you - while I was just barely a Knight myself."

"It wasn't your undoing that made me do what I did," Anakin snaps. "You have always been by my side, even when I didn't realize it. You taught me everything I needed to be a good man. A good Jedi. It's not your fault that I fell. It was a combination of a lot of things and a lot of people. You..." Anakin hesitates, as if trying to find the words. "You never failed me, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan jerks his head away, blinking a few times, trying to organize his thoughts. "Next time you doubt me... talk to me. You are my brother, Anakin. I love you. I may not have been a very good Master to you, but our friendship and brotherhood is unlike any other."

"I agree," Anakin says, sounding confident. "Whatever comes our way, Obi-Wan, we'll face it together. I'm not going to lose myself again. I'm not going to lose those that I love either."

Obi-Wan nods, lowering down into the seat, not looking over at them. "Well, I will see you in a few days."

"Goodbye, Obi-Wan," Padme says softly.

"Farewell, Master," Anakin says as Obi-Wan fires up the engine, kicking up sand around them. "And may the Force be with you."

"And with you as well, my one-time Padawan." Obi-Wan spares them a brief, parting glance before looking away. Anakin grabs onto Padme's arm and pulls her away from Obi-Wan's fighter as it slowly begins to take off.

* * *

Padme felt it, jolting her out of a dead sleep.

She is not Force Sensitive. She has never been Force Sensitive, but being around Anakin has made her very sensitive to her sixth sense. Many times, at night, when Anakin dreams of something terrible or frightening, it would be a horrible feeling in the air. Padme's hair stands on end and her skin begins to crawl, as if feeding off of the negative energy that Anakin's dreams give out.

When they first started sleeping together - more in the sense of sharing a bed rather than just sex - Padme wasn't sure why she would jerk out of a dead sleep. She would look around in confusion, wondering if maybe someone had snuck into her home to attack her. She couldn't see anything in the darkness, until she turned onto her back and got sight of Anakin, chest glistening in sweat, breathing heavily with this pained look on his face. She woke him up and curled into his arms. The feeling went away but Anakin didn't appear to get much more sleep after that.

Since then, whenever he would have a nightmare, that feeling would return. If he was having a very powerful Force Vision, the room may shake or things may begin floating around on their own.

Padme sits up, staring at the darkness beyond her open bedroom door, wondering if she should go out to Anakin. This is the first nightmare that he's had since they returned back in time. Or, at least one that he hadn't woken up right away before that sixth sense kicked in for her a few rooms away. But Anakin hasn't been exactly forthcoming to his mother about his relationship with Padme. He's not hiding it, but he hasn't exactly offered the information to her. Padme isn't sure what he's waiting on, simply that he needs to do it on his own time.

This was his mother. His mother and his secret wife. She's not going to make him chose between them. Now that Shmi was alive and well, they had all the time in the galaxy to tell her the truth. Oh! They could even invite her to their wedding.

But before Padme can wonder further, Anakin's shadow appears in the doorway, his head bowed low. Padme scoots to the end of her borrowed bed to make as much room for her husband. He doesn't waste a moment, taking a few large steps into the room and over to the bed before climbing in and wrapping around her tightly. There is a slight tremble to his hands as he wraps himself around her and holds her close.

Padme buries her face in the hollow of his throat, feeling his Adam's apple bob up in down.

"Ani?" Padme whispers, running her hand up and down his back. She can feel the heat pouring off of him. He was always so hot-blooded, usually sleeping without a shirt on in their bed, but he's opted for modesty without being behind a closed door. No wonder he can barely sleep, he must be roasting alive all night. Every night. Even though the desert gets cold at night, the Lars home is nice and warm.

"I'm okay," Anakin whispers, swallowing again and curling more securely around her. "Just stay with me. Don't go anywhere."

"I'm here," Padme whispers back, pushing as closely to him as possible. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. Shhh."

The slight trembling begins to fade as the two of them drift off to sleep once more, this time in the safety and relative comfort of the arms of the person that the other loves dearly.

* * *

"Can I tell you something?"

Padme looks over at the doorway to see Shmi standing there, her expression soft. Padme straightens up from where she was packing her bag after her "decision" to go and assist Obi-Wan against the wishes of the Council. Anakin stayed very quiet during the call, as if trying to vanish into the background without bringing any attention onto himself. It left them both painfully aware that Yoda wasn't there to ultimately go and retrieve the clones from Kamino. Hopefully that doesn't damper their plans too much and simply another Master goes in his stead.

One can only hope.

"Sure," Padme says, turning around. "Is something wrong?"

Shmi shakes her head. "Something is wrong with Master Obi-Wan?" She looks sad. "That's why you're leaving?"

Padme nods. "He needs our help. We will be okay. Anakin has become a very powerful Jedi."

Shmi smiles faintly. "I believe that. He's always been amazing. I'm glad that he's able to look after himself now. I am so happy that we were able to see each other again. I remember you, all those years ago." Her smile fills up a bit more. "My Ani really liked you, all those years ago. He would follow you all around my house and take you whenever he left. And to see you again, with my Ani, ten years later."

Padme didn't know what to say to that. "Anakin was such a sweet little boy all those years go, and has become an amazing adult."

Shmi seems genuinely happy, and sad by that. Probably thinking about all the years that she missed out on. All of the things that she wanted to experience with her son. She probably wasn't ready to let him go just yet. Padme feels bad for the older woman. It must feel like Anakin is being ripped away from her once more. Padme can kind of understand how she feels.

Padme lost her babies before she really got to meet them.

"I knew Anakin was special ever since I got pregnant with him," Shmi says, interlacing her bandaged fingers together in front of her as she looks down at the floor for a second, collecting her thoughts before looking back up at Padme. "You know, I had a real flashback moment last night. At night, when Anakin was just a little boy, I would wake up in the middle of the night to this horrible feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. Like something terrible had happened. I used to wonder around the house with whatever weapon I could find in case there was an intruder. After a few nights, I realized where they came from. I had that feeling on last night too and went to him. Instinct, I suppose. I hadn't felt that since Anakin was a little boy."

Padme stares at Shmi, not knowing what to say. That had to of meant that when she went to go and see Anakin - who she thought was sleeping out in the living room - she had to of walked passed him cuddled up in her bed with her. If she didn't suspect that something was going on between them considering after ten years they see her again, but together, then she definitely does now.

"I..." Padme croaks, opening her mouth, closing it, opening it again before closing it once more. She wanted to admit the truth to the older woman, although she suspects that Shmi probably already knows, but it really wasn't her place to say anything. Anakin made the choice to not say anything, he probably wanted to wait for them to have some time alone before saying anything. Or, maybe she simply doesn't know why Anakin hasn't said.

Shmi smiles sadly, walking into the room and putting her wrapped hands onto Padme's thin shoulders, looking down slightly into her eyes. "Come back and see me again soon, won't you, Padme?"

Padme puts her hands onto Shmi's looking into the older woman's pretty steel blue eyes exactly like Anakin's. "We all will. And it won't take ten years to do it."

Shmi lets out a little laugh, her worn and tired face brightening up with mirth. She pulls Padme into a tight hug. "Please look after my Ani for me," she whispers into Padme's shoulder. "He's more delicate than he seems. He needs to be with people who love and appreciate him. People who understands him. He needs that. He may not seem like it. Like he's strong and untouchable, but he's intuitive and delicate. Please, look after him."

Ten years it's been since she has last seen her son, yet still, she knew him better than anyone else in the galaxy, it seemed.

"I won't leave him alone ever again," Padme whispers back, hugging the older woman as tightly as she can without hurting the healing wounds on her back.

"Thank you," Shmi murmurs.

* * *

Anakin swore to return soon to see his mother. He would be returning to Tatooine anyway in a few weeks to bring the Hutlet to his father, Jabba, with Ahsoka. He was probably thinking about stopping in then to see her. She gave C-3PO back, saying that he deserved to be with his creator and that it would make her feel better to know that there was someone else out there that was looking after him. Ankin started to refuse, but she insisted. She figured out how to put him together after years of tinkering with him, but if he broke, he would need Anakin to fix him.

So they bring him along. Padme knew that Anakin was just going to give him to Padme anyway, as she was going to give him R2-D2 back too.

Going to Geonosis and having to go through the droid workshop again was a pain. It would be insane to say that everything went the same, because it didn't. C-3PO was ordered to stay on the ship - because he would obey - while R2-D2 would be moved into position. Padme and Anakin ended up side by side with Jango pointing the end of his blaster at Padme's head and ordering Anakin to drop his lightsaber. Anakin agreed and they were taken captive once more. As expected, they searched Anakin and Jango took his lightsaber, before they were cuffed and handed over to the Geonosians to be transported to the arena.

"Are you nervous?" Anakin asks, as they are chained up together.

"No," Padme says strongly. "I know what I have to do. I'll get you two out."

"Even if you can't," Anakin starts when Padme gives him a sharp look to silence him.

"I can, and I will. Have faith in me." She offers him a thin smile. "I know what I'm doing and I'm going to get the two of you out of here without a problem so that we can push forward. Don't worry about it."

"I have faith in you," Anakin says, offering her an identical thin smile.

Padme stares into his eyes, seeing that he does, it reflects back at her with crystal clarity. She goes up on her tip-toes as he leans down and they kiss. Savoring the moment, all the while going back in time to the parallel to this moment when they proclaimed their love for one another. It was almost like they were doing it again, in the same spot, just without saying the words this time.

The words aren't needed. They both already know what they feel for one another.

The Geonosian sneers at them once again before leading them out into the arena. Into the bright sunlight and sandy winds with the roar of the people in the crowds that filled the space, all wanting them and Obi-Wan, who was watching them with a blank expression on his face. Padme pulls out her pin and puts it into her mouth before she gets chained up to the far pillar on Anakin's other side.

She waits until they're gone before she spits out her pin and starts working on the locks on her handcuffs. She knocks the first one out easily as the Geonosian leader begins giving his speech. Word for word what he said before. She doesn't know what he said, but she doesn't remember the sounds, the words. She has had three years on the her of this time, picking locks. She was decently more skilled now than she was then. She knocks the second one out a moment later before pulling herself free.

She kneels down, grabbing one piece of her blaster from one boot, then another piece from the other before reaching into her back pouch and pulling out the last one, putting them all together with daft precision. She ignores the fact that the Geonosian leader is almost done talking. She has to be fast. She can't waste a single moment. It may be the outline to a plan, but it's a good plan. If it messes up, it's not going to be on her watch.

It comes together and she stands up, pointing her blaster at Anakin's cuffs, narrowing her eyes and shooting the cuff as Anakin strained it to give it more room. It snaps and he's freed. She aims for Obi-Wan, firing once and hitting the chain, freeing him from his pillar but not his cuffs, but she steps closer, aims it to the ground and shoots point blank, braking it cuffs.

With Obi-Wan and Anakin free, they both go sprinting toward the side of the arena, where up on the stands a small white and blue astromech droid is zapping one of the guards to scare it away from him before turning toward the two approaching Jedi, beeping quizzically.

"Now, R2!" Anakin yells.

R2-D2 beeps in affirmation before standing upright and launching both of their lightsabers into the air, angled slightly toward the two Jedi. They each catch their own, igniting them.

"You get the right gate," Obi-Wan orders.

"Right!" Anakin and Obi-Wan both leap up onto the stands and running along the edges toward the gates. If they can close those gates, not only do they keep the beasts out, but also the droids for some time. They just have to hurry. Padme, on the other hand, goes for the nearest guard armed with a blaster and shoots him, cursing when his blaster and body remain up in the stands, on the edge and out of her reach. The temporary blaster smokes in her hand, forcing her to drop it and make a daring sprint toward the wall to try and retrieve the new blaster.


	7. Future

**Author's Note: Hello! I know there probably isn't anyone still reading this, seeing as it has been forever since I've updated, but I haven't given up on this story. Thank you for all of you who offered your support for this story! It really means a lot to me. Thank you for 60 reviews! They all make me so happy to read! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **Warnings: Language, Un-beta'd, OOCness.**

 **Word Count: 5,098**

She managed it, somehow. She found another Geonosian armed with a blaster. She threw her now useless blaster at him, disorienting him long enough for him to wrestle his blaster from him and kill him. She wrapped her hand around the handle of that blaster and turned to the next nearest Geonosian coming at her with a shock stick and shot him down. Her heart is pounding, but she doesn't focus on that, or the sweat sliding down her back or over her forehead, or the chaos going on in the stands as the Geonosians take off into the sky to get away from the madness.

Anakin uses his lightsabers to slice through the upper supports of the gate, sealing the monsters on the inside of the tunnel with barely a moment to spare. The reek and the acklay are trapped, but the nexu is not. The only one released into the arena, and it immediately sets its sights on her. Licking its large, gnashing teeth, it breaks into a sprint across the arena, honed in on Padme and making her lunch. Its lunch.

Anakin and Obi-Wan would call that the Force, and maybe Padme is willing to believe that too, but she will call it fate for now. And apparently, no matter what, Padme is going to face down a nexu today whether she wanted to or not. And she really wasn't looking forward to this. But the first time she dealt with this and this time are different. This time, Padme is not only mentally prepared for it.

She's also armed and ready.

Padme aims the blaster at the nexu, firing a few times. It dodges the first two, but loses its footing and getting grazed with the third on it's left flank. Padme fires a few more times before it finally goes down. She lets out a little sigh of relief but doesn't spare a second more trying to celebrate. If they are alive later, she can do it then. They aren't nearly out of the danger they were in just yet. She has to move on.

Anakin is making his way toward Dooku, Gunray, and Poggle the Lesser while Obi-Wan is running around the perimeter of the stadium, closing all of the gates in hopes of holding the droids off as long as possible and save as many lives as they can. There really isn't a plausible way for Padme to get up onto the perimeter ledge where Obi-Wan and Anakin are without help. They could jump it, but she certainly couldn't. All she could do was try and take out any threats she could from where she was. The Geonosian's were already scattering to the skies now that Obi-Wan and Anakin were armed and amongst them, fleeing for their safety.

Padme spots the Jedi start to appear, igniting their lightsabers, they were still piling out of the entrances into the arena. They haven't had the time to sneak in amongst the chaos. Surely they see Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting for their lives and came to help without a moment of hesitation. Now the Geonosians are really running, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. Padme looks up at Anakin, who's standing up beside Windu, deflecting blaster bolts while Windu force throws Jango Fett off the side of the perch they're on and into the stands below. That gives Dooku enough time to hold his hand out toward them and sends arching lightning at them.

They both go tumbling backward and down into the arena with her. She looks to one of the nearest gates to see the battle droids start to appear down the dark paths, making their way into the arena. The gates will hold them off for only a short time. But not forever, unfortunately. They don't have a lot of time to waste. If they are going to get out of here with as minimal death as possible, they are going to have to get out of there as soon as possible.

The other Jedi begin to follow suit, jumping down in the arena, deflecting shots from the droids in most of the entrances. Except for two. One holding the reek, has its dead body blocking the way to the gate after the battle droids shot it enough times to kill it, and the acklay where it's tearing into the droids in that hall. It'll be nice to let the acklay do what it does best, and tear into those droids and buy them some more time. The droids in the reek's path must have got it while it's back was turned. That's just not fair.

With as much distaste as Padme had for this battle with the beasts and her friends, she certainly didn't hate them. The beasts, she means. They are wild animals and in spite of what she thought earlier, they didn't deserve to die. They didn't ask to be brought to this coliseum for battle. They didn't ask to be poked and prodded, shot at and stabbed for others amusement. They were taken from their homes and brought here against their will.

Padme looks around at the Jedi surrounding her, seeing that there was significantly more of them now than last time. Honestly, only a handful, three or four had fallen as far as Padme could see. Not that she was keeping count of the amount of dead Jedi, just making a hopeful point that may mean that they are on the right track.

It's this part of the battle that feels like it goes on forever. All of the Jedi jump into the arena, batting away lightning bolts with their sabers, deflecting their shots back at the droids that are piling into the stands, shooting down at them. Padme stays close to Anakin, who rejoined her side with Obi-Wan almost immediately following and picks the droids off one by one.

Even with the strength in numbers, all the Jedi backed up together, able to contain the assault of the battle droids. Jedi still continue to fall one after another until almost twenty as far as Padme can see, has died. Not nearly as much as last time, but... still a lot.

A Jedi falls a foot away from her. A sizzling hole in her forehead. Padme looks over into the growing crowd of battle droids in the stands above them to see Jango Fett spinning his pistol around, looking down at them as if trying to decide who he wanted to go for next. For the life of her, Padme can't remember where he was at this moment, other than that he was ultimately killed by Mace Windu at some point. She just can't remember when exactly. She hadn't seen the first time around. But he has to be stopped soon - even if he isn't killed - because in the few moments that she's been watching him, he's killed three Jedi.

He moves on to attempt kill number four when his blast aims right at the back of Anakin's head as he turns to deflect a blaster bolt aimed for Padme. He steps closer to her, deflecting another one when Padme points her blaster at Jango opening fire on him a moment after he opens fire on Anakin.

In a move almost faster than her eyes could see, Anakin brings his saber up over his head before pointing the tip down toward the ground behind him, effectively blocking the bolt from hitting him. He turns a bit to see who shot at him, but a B2 battle droid pulls his attention away from Jango as the armored Mandalorian stumbles back from the force of Padme's bolt hitting him in the chest. He falls back behind some droids, that easily step around him, making him vanish from sight.

Satisfied that he's dealt with, at the moment, Padme turns her attention to the droids around her, actively firing on her and the Jedi.

Dooku stares down at them, displeased. He holds up his hand and silences the fighting. Obi-Wan and Anakin share a look as Dooku talks and Padme has to wonder how Anakin feels about any of this. He spent the better part of four years transforming his life to be able to do battle against Dooku. He lost his hand to Dooku and from there changed his life around for solely that purpose. He changed his fighting style and his perspective of the world based on that one fight. He wasn't going to let Dooku get the upper hand on him again.

At the end of the war, he finally managed to get what he had been spending three years trying to accomplish. He killed Dooku. Now Dooku is alive once more and for all intents and purposes, they are back where they started. Well, their bodies are, as are their situations, but they themselves are different. The person she was standing in this spot four years prior to what she remembers, and the person she is right now. Only a few years separate them, yet it feels like a hundred lifetimes. Padme is not the same person now that she was back then. But neither are Obi-Wan and Anakin. All three of them are vastly different people now that they were in the mirror image of this time.

"Then this is goodbye then, my old friend."

Padme pulls from her thoughts as all of the droids aim their weapons back at the circle of Jedi and Padme. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme all look up at the sky to see the troop transport ships lowering down around the arena with Master Shaak Ti on the head transport ship, her eyes focused on to Windu, nodding a bit in his direction when he nods up at her.

So, no Yoda.

Apprehension grips at Padme's chest, but she has to force it away. Now isn't the time to think about that. Padme isn't sure why, if all four of them somehow went back in time - or their memories from the future came to them, which wouldn't make sense to Padme seeing as she isn't Force Sensitive like the three other boys are - that Yoda is taking this so much harder than they are, but something has to be up. Maybe he's in this, um, trance because of something he did. Or maybe it's because they were all so much younger than him that they were somehow more malleable. Padme doesn't know. She knows more about the Force now than she did years prior, but there is still so much that she doesn't know.

The firing starts again as Anakin's hand wraps around one of her arms while Obi-Wan's wraps around the other. Padme isn't sure they realized that the other had done the same thing, but they both effectively drag her toward the same transport, deflecting blaster bolts as they go. They effectively kill off any chance of her helping them with the vice grip both of them have on her.

"Anakin? Obi-Wan?" Padme inquires as they push her only the transport and climb on after her. "What just happened?"

Both turn and look at her, two sets of blue eyes, one white blue the other steel blue stare back blankly. "What?" Both say, then look at each other, confused before looking back at her.

"Uh, never mind..." Padme says slowly, looking around at the Clones inside the transport shooting out at the droids as the other transports fill up and begin to take off.

They're both pensive, she can tell, and when they spot Dooku, neither appear to know what to do next. Indecision spreads across their faces before Obi-Wan blurts out, "Follow him!"

"Yes, sir," the pilot says, nodding over his shoulder before doing what he was told.

A strange look crosses over Obi-Wan's face. One of pain and sadness, but he shakes it off, letting a stoic look fall over him. He wears his stoicism like a shield, but Padme can see that he is thinking about something that brought him bad memories. Padme has a really good guess on what Obi-Wan could be thinking about, and her aching suspicion is probably a legion of Clones decorated with yellow markings to signify the 212th.

Oh no. Padme can only imagine how that is all going to play out. Anakin and Obi-Wan... they loved their legions. They loved them and to have that happen..?

Padme watches as Obi-Wan rubs at his forehead. A hint of betrayal written across his face for a split second before he lets out a long-winded sigh as if assuring himself of his decision.

"I thought we weren't going to stop Dooku," Anakin murmurs to him, quiet enough that only Padme and Obi-Wan can hear him. "Or, at least not yet."

Obi-Wan nods, eyes following Dooku outside their window as he sends his lackeys to try and stop them, which are easily handled. "I know that. we can't do anything detrimental to him. We have to let him get away from now, but we need him to tell us about the Sith Lord being in the Senate."

"How is that going to help us?" Padme whispers. Maybe she wasn't seeing the big picture here like Obi-Wan obvious was. But at least she wasn't the only one, Anakin seemed just as confused as she was. So at least she wasn't alone in that regard.

But as quickly as she and Anakin were on the same page, Anakin switches sides, understanding lighting his steel blue eyes. "Oh, so we would have reason to suspect Palpatine."

Obi-Wan nods. "The Senate is a big place. But the entire galaxy is much bigger. If we are 'informed' that Dooku's master is in the Senate then we can take to looking for him more seriously."

Now she understands, but it still doesn't seem fool-proof. "But he was so good at hiding. He stood before Masters Yoda and Windu, along with any other number of Council Masters without any of them realizing they were in front of a..." she hesitates, lowering her voice even more and leaning in closer to the two men in front of her, "...a Sith Lord. What can we do that makes it different? Surely there has to be a way, and maybe I'm not thinking it all the way through, but what other way is there?"

Obi-Wan sighs, using his free hand not holding onto the hand-helds above his head to keep him steady to rub at his forehead. "Unfortunately, this all has to be done for now. We simply have to take it one step at a time."

As if reading her mind, Anakin looks over at her with a knowing glint in his eye. "Patience isn't my strong suit either. But as much as I hate to admit it, Obi-Wan is right." Explosions pop up around their transport, throwing the occupants around a bit, Padme's frail grip on the hand-holder way above her head falters a bit. Anakin, without missing a beat, reaches over and wraps his free arm around her waist and pulls her closer to him, just enough to lock his fingers around her ribs to keep her in place.

The next barrage is enough to nearly throw her out of the transport if not for Anakin's arm around her. Obi-Wan reaches out a second later to grab her upper arm to keep her steady as she loses grip on the handle. She looks over her shoulder, placed now further inside the transport than last time, and on the opposite side, but she could still stumble back the few feet passed the few clones and out the open door on the other side.

Padme looks between them with wide eyes. "Oh, I forgot."

Anakin's smile is paper thin. "I didn't."

Obi-Wan releases her arm once the turbulence stops, turning his gaze back toward Dooku disappearing ahead of them with a pensive look on his face. "I'm not a fan of what comes next."

Anakin sends him a hard look. "I am not getting my hand cut off again. Been there, done that. I hated it."

Obi-Wan looks over at him, insulted. "No. I'm not a maniac. You lost your arm because you were impulsive and head-strong. I didn't go into this thinking that you should lose your arm like a monster. Don't do it. Just stay calm, in control and don't let him get the best of you."

"He won't," Anakin says flatly.

Obi-Wan gives him a blank expression in return. "Noted."

* * *

Padme stood off to the side, feeling useless as Anakin and Obi-Wan fight against Dooku, going easy as to not give away their skills but being careful to avoid the serious injuries they sustained the first time around. Anakin didn't lose his arm and Obi-Wan didn't get the deep cuts on his arm and leg. Padme watched the three of them dance around one another in a deadly dance, lightsabers swinging around them. They held out longer than Padme thought they did last time, but Yoda never came.

Instead, Dooku shoots them both with lightning, which hurts no matter how many times you've been shot with it, she supposed, seeing as she's never been hit with lightning. At least, not lightning made of the Force. But Anakin and Obi-Wan soared across the room, hit the wall hard and collapsed on to the ground and didn't get up right away. She's not sure that they are dragging their feet with this. But, they do shake it off - slowly - and climb up to their feet in time for Dooku to run off. But they get up, brush themselves off and look after him with dark, guarded eyes.

They head out to return to Coruscant once back up arrived too late. Still, no word on Yoda on their way back as the Republic claims Geonosis for the first time only to make some poor tactical choices that forces them to have to come back soon enough to take it back for a second time. But that comes later, she supposes. But while the two of them are fighting on the battlefield, Padme is going to be fighting him in the Senate chambers.

She's not sure how much the two of them have thought this through, but Padme has been thinking about it for a while. She's going to be the one that is going to be doing a lot of the non-physical fighting against Palpatine. When it comes to physical blows between them, she knows that she is no match for him, but while he's still nonethewiser as to what she knows and what she plans to do, she's going to be doing anything and everything she can to undermine him for the benefit of the Republic and for their future.

Padme knows the basics when it comes to the Force and abilities within in. She's going to use all of her free time trying to understand it and how to better defend herself and others against it. Obi-Wan is a good example. His ability to read minds is supposedly unparalleled. Or close to it. He has a natural affinity for reading minds and can do it passively without effort. In fact, if anything, he's so strong in the ability the real training comes in the ability to block out the thoughts of those around him.

Anakin has a similar circumstance in Perception. His ability to see into the future is impressive and definitely above average if Padme's understanding it correctly. Both such abilities can be utilized by all Jedi - and Sith, she supposed which is why she has to be very careful - but just to varying degrees. Ahsoka came to Padme with a vision of her death, which just proves it for the young Senator.

"Oh," Padme gasps in the otherwise quiet transport back to Coruscant. Anakin and Obi-Wan are sitting on either side of her, lost in their own thoughts, as she had been.

"What?" Anakin asks, looking over at her through long, dark lashes.

Padme smiles over at him thinly, hoping that her next words would bring him the same spark of joy that it did for her. "Ahsoka."

Anakin looks pained, his eyebrows pulling together, going back in time - er, forward in time? - to the last time they spoke before she left the Jedi. Sure they were in contact afterward and he was even able to convince her to help deal with the situation on Mandalore, but her walking away from the Jedi, and him, still burned its way into his brain forever.

"Oh," Obi-Wan says, blinking a few times before the softest, saddest expression crosses his face. "She'll come back to us."

Anakin's entire face transforms into one of pure bliss and hope, a smile crossing his face before he manages to control his expression, sobering it a bit, but the joy is practically flooding out of him in tangible waves Padme would have to be blind not to see. Obi-Wan smiles with a bit of genuine happiness past Padme, as he looks at Anakin. Padme's sure Anakin's mind is filled with thoughts of the well-loved Tagruta girl. She's sure Obi-Wan is thinking about the last time she spoke to him as a Jedi too.

Maybe saving their future isn't all their going to do. But it does offer other avenues that may barter for their attention. One of which being Ahsoka. Barriss Offee's framing of Ahsoka very much put her life in danger. Ahsoka was almost executed for a crime she didn't commit. And Padme could do nothing to protect her. And it was only by luck that Anakin figured it all out and was able to save Ahsoka in time.

Or, maybe it wasn't. Could Palpatine had his hand in that too, Padme wondered. Or was it simply an opportunity that he was going to capitalize on when it presented itself. Surely with how he was grooming Anakin, he helped nurture the bond with Ahsoka and then use the Jedi to taint it. To tear it apart. He was very good at that, wasn't he? Sticking his fingers in just enough to get the job done, but always have the blame fall on someone else. Manipulate people, and situations to suit himself and his needs.

Padme is a politician and this is a very good example of what they are accused of, but Palpatine is definitely on another level if he is able to orchestrate all of this like she's starting to suspect he has. And that makes him a million times more dangerous than she originally anticipated, which was already a lot given what she already knew going into this.

"She will," Anakin whispers, confidence and strength in his words. "She's at the Jedi Temple, still. She's with us." He pauses as if something occurred to him. "And so is - "

Obi-Wan's entire body goes rigid, eyes blowing wide. "Satine." He whispered her name like a prayer. In his eyes, there was unbelievable sadness and pain, but also a flicker of hope. Satine was alive, and while they haven't rekindled their friendship, they will within the upcoming months. She will be back in their lives and Padme can befriend the Duchess once more. Padme took Satine's death hard. They had spoken every couple of days since they became friends and they had made so many plans together, they just meshed so well.

But Obi-Wan... he was there when she died. He held her in his arms as the life faded from her. His enemy the Zabrak Maul killed her before his very eyes. And Obi-Wan managed to escape Mandalore with his life, but he was never really the same afterward. His heart wasn't just broken, it was destroyed. She remembered Anakin talking to her about how worried he was for his old Master. Obi-Wan simply stayed in his room for days without leaving, not even to get food. He locked himself away to meditate alone.

Whenever Padme saw him afterward he would try to be the same man that he was and sometimes he seemed to fool himself, but there was this sadness deep in his eyes that never went away. A pain in his steps as if something had been cut away from him. His smile never really shined like it used to. Each joke about death and wanting to die held just a little bit more truth. And even a degree of his rational went away. He was more impulsive, more susceptible to manipulation. He would simply go along more with what others around him were saying. Padme believes it was part of the reason he sat back with the situation with Ahsoka. It was like he lost almost all of his fight. And his will to live.

Satine's death was like the worst nightmare imaginable that follows him through all waking hours and haunts him while he sleeps. Padme can just tell by looking at him.

But now she's alive and a flicker of life is appearing in Obi-Wan's eyes. A drive that she hasn't seen in way too long. Maybe that's part of the reason that Obi-Wan is having such a tough time forgiving Anakin. Anakin is one of the few reasons left for Obi-Wan to keep fighting. To see Anakin fall is almost worse than him dying. Well, maybe not to Obi-Wan. Maybe that is the worst thing that can happen to him in Obi-Wan's opinion, she doesn't know.

What she does know, though, is Satine is alive and Ahsoka is with them - or she will be soon. The five of them will be united. One way or another.

* * *

Once they returned to Coruscant, both Anakin and Obi-Wan, along with all the other Jedi that returned with them - significantly more than before - were all whisked away back to the Jedi Temple. Anakin wasn't very excited to go back but didn't really have much of a choice. With everything going on, they were needed to discuss the future of the Jedi and what they were going to do about this sudden outbreak of conflict. It wouldn't even be morning the following day before the Separatists announce the break off from the Republic.

Padme went home that when they got back to Coruscant, feeling like she hadn't been in her own bed for years, even though it had only been a little over a week. She falls into her bed after stripping her clothes and stumbling into her nightgown. It takes all of her strength to crawl up to her pillow and actually allow herself to relax. She lays in bed, staring at her ceiling with her mind racing. She was thinking about all sorts of things. The Republic, the Separatists, the Jedi, Dooku, Palpatine, Ahsoka, Satine, Obi-Wan, Anakin. And Yoda. This war. Everything. She couldn't get her mind to stop. Once she exhausted herself on one topic, her brain would move on to the next.

At some point, late into the night, she felt exhaustion take over her, as her eyes slip closed. She wanted to call Anakin, listening to his soft, smooth voice would have helped her fall asleep easier, but he had to sleep too, more than she did. They have a few days for the Senate to answer the Separatists' call to war with war, and then mobilize everyone. They still have time, but before long Anakin and Obi-Wan will be gone and Padme will be alone in the battle of wills against Palpatine, all the while pretending that she's still looking up to him as a mentor and friend.

Anakin comes to see her the next day, bringing word that Yoda hadn't awakened yet, but has shown signs of improving. The healers are optimistic about Yoda waking up, and hopefully soon. Until then, the powers of Grand Master was passed to Mace Windu for the time being until Yoda woke up. It's for the best for now.

He also said that Obi-Wan left right after their meeting the night before, claiming something had come to him that he hadn't thought about. He said something about maybe being too late and that he had to hurry and ran out quickly.

"What do you think it was?" Padme asks, handing Anakin a glass of water and sitting down next to her husband on the couch as her handmaidens pack up her ship for her brief journey back to Naboo for the sole purpose of them getting married. He 'asked' Obi-Wan as he was running out. So they are going to Naboo specifically to get married and to talk away from anyone who may report back to Palpatine. Hopefully. It's hard to know who can be trusted at this point.

"I'm not sure," Anakin says, sipping his water a bit before laying it down on the table. "We were talking about all sorts of things. Mostly about enemies on the Separatists' side. Dooku, Grievous." Something occurs to him. "Well, I said something about Ventress and whether Dooku got to her yet or not, and then he got the bug and ran off." He squints at the wall in front of him. "Huh."

"He's going after Ventress?" Padme asks, eyes wide.

Anakin shakes his head, pulling at the short hair at the nape of his neck as if he's able to will it to grow faster. "I don't know. I guess we'll find out when he gets back." He sounds nonchalant, but he looks curious and thoughtful. Padme has no idea what Obi-Wan has planned, she just hopes that he knows what he's doing.


End file.
